


Works in Progress -The Graveyard Edition

by scarsgirl



Category: Glee, Hannibal (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Kid Fic, M/M, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-17 18:14:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2318738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarsgirl/pseuds/scarsgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Various abandoned WIPS that I decided to share in case someone was interested in reading them. Some are no more than drabbles, while a few of them were nearly completed when I either lost inspiration or life got in the way and I wasn't in same head space anymore when I was ready to write again. </p><p>Oh, and please read the note at the beginning of Chapter 1 for information about the contents of each chapter. </p><p>Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Visitation

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Dear Readers,  
> As the summary says, this is a collection of my abandoned works. I have had some of these files setting in a WIP file for years and though I couldn't finish them for one reason or another I also couldn't bare the thought of deleting them, so I decided to post here after seeing that a couple of other writers had done the same. Please be warned that these works are mostly unbetad so there will be spelling and grammar mistakes throughout. And, as with all my works comments and kudos are welcomed. Thanks for Reading!
> 
> Chapter 1 is a the start of a Hannibal story called "Visitation". It's about 2,300 words and features the pairing Will/Hannibal and Will/Alana. Summary: Season 1 AU wherein Alana pays a visit to Hannibal at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
> 
> Chapter 2 is another unfinished Hannibal story called "Amargo". It's about 1,900 words of Hannibal tying Will to a chair and basically screwin' with his head.
> 
> Chapter 3 is another Hannibal story. This story was meant to be an AU future fic where Hannibal and Will meet again in the middle of a war zone. Followed by an unrelated snippet from a therapy session between Hannibal and Bedelia. 
> 
> Chapter 4 is 1,400 words of an Supernatural RPF with Misha and Jensen in a hotel room after a convention.
> 
> Chapter 5 is a snippet of a story I started about Castiel's life in Purgatory before reuniting with Dean in Season 8.
> 
> Chapter 6 was an AU future fic set after Star Trek Into Darkness with a sorta mid-life crisis Kirk trying to figure out the next step after completing their 5-year mission.
> 
> Chapter 7 is an unfinished sequel to my story Kurt/Dave story "Cheerios for Champs" that takes place a week or so after the events of that story and was nearly finished when I finally got frustrated and quit watching Glee.
> 
> Chapter 8 is a multi-chaptered fic coming in at over 13,000 words that I never finished. It was my first try at a polyamorous relationship between Kurt, Blaine and David that also got dropped when I quit Glee.
> 
> Chapter 9 was my first ever attempt at a fic. It was Draco/Neville story that takes place at Hogwarts after Draco's son goes missing while at school. It's a little over 11,000 words.

She knew this was a bad idea. Had known it was a bad idea from the moment the words left Jack's mouth. She was too close, too stung by Hannibal's betrayal and too worried about Will to be relied upon in a therapeutic setting.

"I know you don't want to do this, I don't want you to do this." Will had wrapped his arms around himself the moment they entered the facility in an unconscious attempt at self-comforting. In other circumstances, in other places, she would be the one providing him what he needed to feel safe, but here and now the safety of two women missing for over a week took precedence and she needed to keep her focus on the task at hand. 

At this point, the FBI believed that Lauren Shelly were still alive, but if their whereabouts were not determined soon the FBI believed they would lose their lives before the end of the day. "I don't particularly relish the idea. I had hoped after the trial..." She took a deep breath. Hannibal was smart, a sociopathic, power-control killer with some several non-traditional elements that made him difficult to fully profile. He would sense any weakness she displayed and have no qualms about using them against her, if it amused him to do so. 

"I'm wishing for a second time that I had sat in on some of your sessions. At least gotten an idea of how you interacted." Will shrank away from her, before catching the move and forcing his arms to drop to his sides as he attempted a more casual stance. "So you think you would've picked up on the whole eating people thing a little quicker than I did if you'd been able to witness our witty repartee?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it." She took a step toward him, throwing her eyes to the office door to make sure Chilton wasn't waiting for an inopportune moment to enter. "He..." She almost said he fooled us all, but it sounded so cliché after all the press and the trial that she ended up huffing out a light chuckle that made Will shake his head at her.

"You can't go to him with any sort of plan. He'll know why you're here anyway. Just be honest with him and for God's sake be polite." Will smiled at her tightly. She knew a part of him wanted to go, but there was no way she or his current therapist would allow it at his point in his recovery.

A slight shiver ran down her spine. How many times had she come close to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time? How many times had Hannibal thought about killing her over the years?

The sound of steps echoed down the hallway outside Chilton's office. In all likelihood it was an angry Jack and self-satisfied Chilton coming back from their visit with Hannibal. Jack had insisted on trying to talk to Hannibal first, despite Will's assurances that he would get nothing out of the man. Jack had taken the comment in stride, though he had stiffened slightly when Will had informed him that Hannibal held him in contempt and would consider his 'attempt' at an interrogation to be an insult.

"He's all yours Dr. Bloom." Jack said as he entered the large office, making it feel smaller instantly. He was angry, she could tell that he was keeping it under control, but one slip from anyone would bring down his considerable wraith. 

"I should do it!" Will met her eyes briefly, trying to soften the sudden force of his words. "I don't want you near him."

"Will, I'm in no danger. Besides it is likely to be a very short conversation. You said yourself that my odds of getting him to provide any insight on our suspects is only slightly higher than Jack's," Jack huffed an exasperated breath by the door.

"Which is why it should be me," Will was barely keeping his emotions in check. She knew that she should have suggested a Xanax before they left Quantico.

"I'm not handing you over to Lecter," Jack's voice was thunder in the quiet room.

"I'm not some sacrificial virgin being offered up to slaughter, Jack. I can take care of myself," Jack dipped his head slightly, chewing at the inside of his jaw. "At least for the most part," Will conceded.

"No, and that's the end of the discussion." Jack held out his hand towards her in a gesture that was meant to look gentlemanly, but was in fact his way of enforcing his will.

Will's jaw was clenched tightly as he struggled against acting out at Jack's attempts to control him. He'd always been resistant to being handled, though his responses were more likely to end in anger than resignation these days. Perhaps she should ingratiate herself to Hannibal by thanking him for that? It had done wonders for Will's mental well-being.

She took Jack's hand, as he swiftly guided her out the door. She chose not to look back and catch Will's eyes. He would be miserable and she really didn't want his distress on her mind when she spoke to Hannibal.

"He's being even more of a bastard than usual today." Jack offered as Chilton listened in a few steps ahead of them as they made their way to the high security area of the hospital. 

"What did he say?"

"Too much and not enough. He subverted every attempt I made to engage him and when I wouldn't play along he began analyzing me. I left before I gave into my very real desire to reach through those bars and punch that smug look off his face." She smiled despite the dire circumstance. Maybe if he was feeling generous or if he was bored enough Hannibal would cooperate with her just to anger Jack.

Alana felt the corner of her mouth lift at Jack's deepening scowl. She didn't condone violence, but she'd felt a similar impulse at Hannibal's trial when he had given her a knowing smile as she sat in the witness box.

"Are we sure these people are trying to get Hannibal's attention and not Will's? They had to know that he would be pulled in to this case."

"He's still officially on disability." She countered. 

"Yet, here we all are." Jack grumbled. He had been working to get Will back in the field for months now and was on the verge of giving up when people started disappearing and a copycat imitating Hannibal's kills had emerged.

Don't mistake Will's being here for being ready to be here. In a way he feels responsible for Hannibal and being here is more about Will seeking absolution than justice."

"Whatever Will's motivation may be justice for these women is the only outcome that concerns me at the moment," Jack's voice quieted as they came to the guard station outside the wing that held Hannibal. 

She'd visited the ward with enough frequency that she was the search procedure was quite perfunctory. She knew what to wear and what not wear when you came to see a patient here. She gave Jack a nod and ignored Chilton as she walked through the first set of doors and entered the ward taking a deep breath and focusing her mind for what was to come.

________________________________________________

Hannibal's cell was the fourth down on the left. The last cell on the block and the furthest from the guards and the rest of the block. The cell was slightly larger than the rest, but according to Chilton providing Hannibal this small comfort had been a move born out of necessity as Hannibal had managed to incite not only other patients, but several guards to commit violent acts against one another or themselves. She could sense the unease in the ward as soon as she stepped inside. Keeping her eyes to the front and ignoring the catcalls of from the cells as she made her way down the hall. 

She took a steady breath as Hannibal came in to view. He was standing at attention in his cell, managing to catch her eye the moment she came into view. A small smile lifted the corners of his face as he nodded to her, "Alana," He greeted fondly, as though they were still friends and colleagues.

"Hannibal," She returned taking the chair the guards had placed outside of Hannibal's cell.

"I hope you are well," Hannibal said giving her a slight nod.

She licked her lips, hoping that Hannibal would take the action for anger instead of nerves. He flashed a knowing smile at her, before speaking, "I suppose there is something that the FBI wants from me, but I can't possibly think what it could be and Jack was rather tight-lipped on the matter. I don't suppose you're going to enlighten me?" She flinched slightly wondering if the phrasing had been intentional. The initial finding that had spurred the FBI's involvement in the case had been the discovery of a small shrine outside a seminary school in Boston. The shrine held a diorama of a murder suspected to have been committed by the Chesapeake Ripper, though a lack of evidence in those cases had kept charges from being filled. The displays were upsetting on their own, but what made them notable was the use of human body parts to complete each work. The skin and hair used on the tiny model had been matched to a man missing for several weeks out of Boston while the blood completing the tableau belonged to a woman from Baltimore. Jack had believed the two victims were still alive until a second tableau had found pieces of brain matter and heart muscle that suggested both victims had died and now they had two missing women whose blood and hair had been found in a third tableau. If the killer followed his pattern they had only a day or two at the most to find them.

"There are two women missing. I know that really doesn't interest you so let me get to the part that will. Their captors seems to be trying to get your attention. We just want to know if you know them or if they've made contact with you?"

Hannibal turned his face down, "Does Will believe this killer to be my disciple or an admirer?"

"Will's not involved in the case." The lie slipped out easily.

"Will's involved. If he wasn't, you wouldn't be here." Hannibal's expression lost some of its gentility.

"I've worked with the FBI on dozens of cases, most of them without Will." She lifted her chin in challenge, eliciting another small smile from Hannibal.

"Will has sent you to me, but not as an interrogation tactic. He needs help and he needs it from me."

She felt her shoulders tighten, "I used to find your Narcissism endearing because you were charming Hannibal. I don't find you charming anymore."

"I'm just being honest, Alana. He'd be here now if he could, if you and Jack would let him."

"Jack and I are not Will's wardens, if you've deluded yourself into believing that anything more than a sincere desire to never see you again is keeping Will away -you're wrong."

"I have no delusions where Will is concerned. I knew when Will became my patient that he would find me out at some point and that I would have to kill him. Though I must admit that the idea became... unpalatable to me as we grew closer and I came to know Will as I have known no other. It was quite the problem for me until I found a solution.

"And which solution was that? The one that forced him to check himself into a mental health facility or the one that ended with a knife in his stomach?" 

"I could have killed Will a thousand time over and the FBI would have never known what happened to him unless I chose to let them know. The only reason he is alive is because I sought a solution that would provide me with the best outcome."

This wasn't why she was here, but...

"I suppose you're going to tell me that killing Will, would have made him a part of you forever? That seems rather trite for you, Hannibal."

She felt a chill at the smile slowly lighting Hannibal's face. "Believe it or not Alana I had not planned on hurting Will that night," The smile faded, "That was a rather impulsive decision on my part."

"Why did you leave him alive?" Will had asked her a dozen times in a dozen different ways, but she'd had no answer to give him. Perhaps now...

"I did not have to leave Will alive. I'm sure that he has surmised that I could have killed him and given myself the opportunity to escape."

"You left the phone, so he could call for help." She could see the scenario playing out in her mind. Will's realization of Hannibal's true nature. His obvious horror wounding Hannibal causing him to act on impulse. Hannibal who had let Will get close, too close.

"Will hasn't told you about his suspicions, has he? The reason I didn't let him die that night."

Her heart felt like it was twisting in her chest. If Will suspected that Hannibal had feelings for him, he should have told her, told Jack.

"Why you didn't kill Will isn't important. That you left him with what could have easily been a mortal wound is." She was losing her temper and hated it.

"I couldn't let go of him and you being here tells me that Will feels the same way about me."

"That's ridiculous! You are delusional!" Will was getting better and had fought to keep his distance, well, had fought until now.

"Alana," Hannibal stepped toward her as tilting his head as though he wanted to tell her a secret, "When you and Will sit together surrounded by dogs and blankets in your little house in Wolf Trap and Will's eyes drift away and you know he's not with you anymore, where do you think he goes?" 

"You are trying to make me angry, trying exert some control over me as a way of feeling more in control of your own life."

"It does not matter how much therapy or how many pharmaceuticals are pumped into William's body. His mind will never be free of me. To steal a phrase from my dear friend, this is my design. I've planted seeds in Will's mind that have such roots you could not remove them with the sharpest scalpel. He is mine in ways you can't even begin to comprehend, Dr. Bloom." 

"For Will I am the guidepost. For the rest of his days when he is frightened or confused I will be the first person he wishes were there. In time, he will learn to dismiss this desire before it fully forms into action, but for now he needs me to direct him and has sent you here to act as his surrogate." 

"You think Will manipulated the FBI, Jack and me so he could come here, to be near you?"

"I think Will was on disability and floundering until this case gave him the opening he needed to get back into the Bureau's good graces and so he could justify his desire to be near me."

"Are you in love with Will?"

"I think that Will and I are two halves seeking wholeness. We find what we each lack in the other."

"So you tried to break Will's mind in some convoluted ploy to connect to him?"

"I didn't have to break him, Alana. Just bend him enough to fracture and fill in the cracks. It may not be love as traditionally defined, but our bond is no less strong." 

"I'm not going to discuss Will with you anymore. Do you know anything about this case, these women?"

"I'm sure when Will and I talk I will gain some insight."

"Did you really imagine that there would be some happy ending for you or Will? That the two of you would ride off into the sunset together?"

Hannibal didn't answer. He didn't need to, she had been dismissed as far has Hannibal was concerned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know it kind of leaves you hanging, but I honestly can't remember where I was going with this story, so it ended up here. Thanks for reading anyway!


	2. Amargo

He knew turning himself into a serial escapist wasn’t the best way to convince Jack and Alana that he was innocent of the crimes against him, but there was no way he would be able to prove his innocence trapped behind the bars of the Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane. 

Hannibal. The cause of his misery and his urgency. In another circumstance he might have been willing to let time pass and the truth of Hannibal’s treachery come to light during the on-going investigation into the Copy-Cat murders, but Hannibal was too close to too many people that Will cared for for Will to be cautious. Abigail’s pale, drawn face haunted him day and night. Adding Alana, Beverly or even Jack's death to the mix would be a fatal wound to his already fragile psyche and he was unwilling to let them pay the same price Abigail had for trusting Hannibal, even if it lead to his own death.

He tested the patio glass door using only his fingertips and surprisingly found it unlocked. He’d been in Hannibal’s house enough to know that there was no security beyond the standard deadbolt on the front door and a latch for the patio. He released a quick huff. “I suppose you’re not too worried about anyone who dares cross your threshold are you, Dr. Lector?” He muttered as he slid the door slowly open. In all likelihood Hannibal had left the door unlocked for him, which meant that he knew of his escape and had correctly guessed Will’s first stop.

He stepped through the threshold into the cool confines of Hannibal’s dining room, noting that the table was set for two. His stomach roiled thinking of the times he’d sat at this table next to Hannibal enjoying his companionship and food. A flash of Andrew Caldwell sitting in a bus with his intestines bulging from this lower torso went through his mind immediately followed by the phantom taste of Hannibal’s breakfast scramble. It made the bile rise in the back of his throat, but he couldn't afford the distraction so he filed the thought away for now.

“Will?” Hannibal’s voice lilted from the kitchen, “If you’d open the wine?” He startled visibly as the muscles in his body flooded with adrenaline telling him to run. Instead he let the hysterical chuckle in his chest sputter up and out into the room. “This isn’t a social call, Dr. Lector.” He called toward the partially open kitchen door as he pocketed the corkscrew lying next to the bottle of wine on the table and began to ease his way to the warmly lit kitchen.

He couldn’t see Hannibal as he approached the door, but he could hear him moving in the other room. It sounded like Hannibal was actually cooking them something, but Will wasn’t going to making any assumptions about what Hannibal was up to when he couldn’t see him. “Don’t be truculent, Will. You know I prefer to be called Hannibal outside of a professional setting.”

"I may not be currently employed,” Will strained his eyes in an attempt to parse the movement of shadow as he came closer to the door, “But make no mistake I am here to complete the work we started in Minnesota, Dr. Lecter.” He shouldered the door open so that it hit the wall with a loud bang, hoping the force would be enough to knock Hannibal off balance, if he was waiting to attack. The loud bang that echoed through the room brought Hannibal to a standstill. He looked around the room, quickly scanning every corner to confirm the number of potential hostiles in the room.

Hannibal watched him with a slight air of amusement as Will surveyed the room while keeping one eye trained on Hannibal. He appeared to be unarmed, though he did have some sort of liquid slowly bubbling in a small saucepan in front of him that could be used to scald or blind. “We are alone for the moment, though I am expecting company. I regret to say that I made just enough for two, but if you would like something...,” Hannibal lifted his chin toward the double-door refrigerator across the room. “You may feel free to avail yourself of the contents of my refrigerator or pantry.”

“Yeah, and who will I find in there?”

Hannibal’s small smile was disconcerting to say the least and Will could hardly bring himself to look away as he contemplated his next move. 

“There is a little soup left from last night, if you would like for me to get it...” Hannibal took a quick step causing Will to flinch back. “Don’t move!”

“Will, this is my home and I have no intention of allowing anyone to order me around in it.” Hannibal’s tone was dangerous and quiet.

Will knew there was some hidden depth in Hannibal’s words, some layer to the nesting doll parading as a person, but he couldn’t allow himself to get too caught up in trying to figure Hannibal out, not now at least. “Where is Miriam Lass?” 

Hannibal’s chin dropped toward his chest slightly. “I believe she is lying on a metal table at the BAU at the moment.”

Will shook his head, gritting his teeth in the effort to keep himself calm. “No, no you have her, the rest of her, stashed somewhere, probably a freezer, somewhere you could get to without any questions being asked. A place where you could go, hack off her arm and steal a few strands of hair to leave for Jack.”

"So, you believe the Chesapeake Ripper still has Miriam Lass’ remains. Wouldn’t that be a foolish decision on his part?”

"You are the Chesapeake Ripper and you do have Miriam’s remains somewhere, somewhere safe, a place of honor for the person who almost caught you.” Hannibal adjusted his stance as Will played through the events that led to Miriam’s murder, a path she followed that led her to Hannibal’s doorstep, Hannibal’s decision to kill her, probably with his bare hands has he had no weapons on him at the time of her arrival. He could see Miriam struggling against a larger, more practiced opponent, but ultimately losing. Will came back to himself just in time to prepare for Hannibal’s flash of movement as he lunged across the island separating them. Will managed to get to the wine corker in his pocket, just not as quickly as Hannibal was able to get to the syringe in his apron.

___________________________________________________________________________

His head was throbbing as he followed the sound of Alana’s voice out of unconsciousness. She was close by and sounded happier than he’d heard her in months. Hell, happier than she’d been since he'd known her. He started at the feel of belt around his hands, he tried to move, but his body felt slow and sluggish. He tried to speak, but his mouth was numb, so much so that it took a minute to process the dry taste in his mouth was caused by a gag and not whatever it was that Hannibal had drugged him with. His vision was cloudy either due to the drugs or because he wasn’t totally conscious yet, but he could make out some movement in front of him that seemed both far away and very close. 

It took a moment for his brain to process what he was experiencing even as his eyes began to focus on the small bank of television screens in front of him. He tried to move his neck, but found his whole body constricted, by what had to either be belts, or thick pieces of fabric lashing him to a chair. It appeared that his earlier assumption about the state of the security in Hannibal’s house had been incorrect as evidenced by the bank of security cameras he was now stationed in front of. He could just move his eyes enough to see that he was in a small room or closet, with no visible source of light, beyond the screens in front of him. He was fastened tightly to the chair, his feet tied back on the chair spindle as such an angle as to make sure he could gain no leverage for movement. The chair itself seemed to be secured to the ground as he could force no movement by pulling or tugging at his bindings.

Hannibal had done this before obviously, tied his victims up. Made them watch the guests at Hannibal’s dinner table as they ate what had been taken from them.

He forced his mind from their misery. He had enough of his own and did not want to add being forced to swallow his own vomit at the thought of their suffering to his at the moment. Okay, movement seemed to be out of the question for the moment, maybe he could make a loud enough noise to alert Alana. 

Thinking of her brought his attention back to the monitors in front of him. Alana was wearing a red dress that accentuated both her shape and her coloring. Her hair was loose and flowing over one shoulder as she smiled at Hannibal. Ice traveled through his gut. She wasn’t viewing this as a dinner between friends and colleagues, she was... He couldn’t focus on that right now. It had surely been the reason Hannibal had kept him alive, put him here. To keep him distracted and angry. To see how he would react. The thought of being manipulated enraged him and he poured all he could into forcing a scream around the gag in his mouth. The sound escaping the gag echoed in the room, but apparently failed to rouse any attention from either Hannibal or Alana as they continued their meal.

He pulled against his bindings again, feeling rage and frustration beginning to cloud his judgment. He realized that if he wanted to survive the next few minutes, much less the next few hours he needed to force himself to calm down and think. Not thinking had gotten him into this situation and now he needed to focus.

Alana’s light laughter filtered into the room. He could see the smile on Hannibal’s face in one screen while the other showed Alana’s laugh transform into a self-deprecating smile. “I always felt that teaching was more a duty to be performed, but I see that it brings you a great deal of joy and satisfaction.” Hannibal shared with a tip of his in respect to Alana's passion for teaching.

“It does,” Alana smiled around the words. “I...” She trailed off as the smile faded, “I wish Will had found the same satisfaction.” Hannibal reached out, his hand palm-up to her. Alana lay her hand in his, changing the angle so that their fingers interlaced. “You must not second guess yourself because of Will’s choices. He knew, at least on some level, that working for FBI was a danger for him. It was his choice to do so and now he must suffer the consequences for what he has done.”

Hannibal had infused just enough sadness into his voice that Will would have been convinced of his sincerity had he not seen the monster behind the facade Hannibal projected. Alana too, had been fooled. He could see in the way she squeezed Hannibal’s hand tightly, before letting it go.

____________________________________________________________________________

Next Section Outline:

_Hannibal seduces Alana at the table as Will while is powerless to do anything. ___


	3. Untitled Hannibal

Belarus-Russian Border 2019

He was going to die. Of course, this wasn’t the first time that certainty had presented itself and he’d managed to survive thus far, though usually he had someone else to thank for his survival. At least drowning was supposed to be one of the least painful ways to die. He pressed his lips together firmly as he tried to push at the bridge railing holding the lower half of his body under the water. He could still see the light from the burning bridge above him through the murky water. He’d counted himself lucky when had first been thrown from the vehicle during the missile attack, that was until the bridge snapped under the onslaught. He had hit the water hard enough to drive the air from his lungs giving him no time to recover before the bridge came down on top of him.

He took a moment to mourn his driver. The man had seemed kind and had a surprisingly easy manner for a man running a rogue American through the backdoor of a war torn country to find a serial killer. Will felt guilty about leading the man on the wild goose chase that resulted in his death. He could hear more artillery firing in the distance, the sound and light muffled by the water and the dark. He could feel the his body’s need for air increasing as he strained to move, but not moving meant certain death so he carefully allowed some air to leave his lungs while fighting the urge to inhale. He watched as the bubbles danced to the surface as a cacophony of lights burst over heard. It was then that he saw his salvation. He would have laughed had he the air to waste.

__________________________________________________________________________

“William, I am starting to suspect that you have absolutely no sense of self-preservation left.” Hannibal droned as Will gulped in great lungful’s of air. Between the two of them they had managed to up end the railing enough for Will move, though Hannibal had to grab him by the collar to drag him to shore when his muscles refused to work properly.

“I could say the same about you, Dr. Lecter.” Will wheezed as he caught his breathe. Hannibal turned to him then, the small smile that only he ever got to see. “Perhaps, but even I know better than to stand between two groups of people that want to kill one another.” Hannibal took a few steps into the dark of the woods, his back turned to Will as he looked into the distance. Will’s gun was long gone, along with everything in his pack, passport, ID, all of his money. “I only have a few moments more before they realize I’ve gone.” He turned and walked back to where Will sat on the river’s edge. “I suspect that my captors would treat you well until some form of ransom could be arranged. If you would rather you could stay and wait for them," Hannibal turned back to him, walking as he spoke, "Or you could join me until we find a more stable area of the country.”

The Civil War had been going for over two years, with no peace in sight despite the UN and Russia’s attempts to end the fighting. Of course, the UN and Russia had backed opposing forces, which had only led to a further fracturing of the country. Even if he was found by the same group that had been attempting to ransom Hannibal to the highest paying government there was no guarantee that in the heat of battle, with no identification, he wouldn’t be killed on the spot. “I don’t really have much of a choice, do I?” Will lifted his hand in expectation as Hannibal released a small chuckle and pulled him to his feet.

“Do try to keep up, Will.” Hannibal said letting Will’s hand drop as he stepped in close, cat-like and quick. Will held himself very still as Hannibal’s breath skated across his face. According to Alana, Hannibal’s need to 'scent' him seemed to be a gesture of familiarity and comfort more than of hunger, but the desire to pull away from such an invasion was difficult to fight. “Hmm, you haven’t been eating well. It will make the journey more difficult for you in your already weakened state,” Hannibal said, as he pulled away and stepped around Will heading toward the thick woods that covering this part of the country. “We will try to find you something sustaining in the morning.”

Will snorted, “Just so you know I’m a vegetarian now, so...” Hannibal shook his head as he disappeared into to the tree line. Will forced the image of a stag shaking a feathery mane from his mind as he took one last look toward the sky; the faint glow of fire made the stars dimmer than they should have been in such an isolated area. Even if he could have seen them, he doubted he knew this part of the world well enough to find his way to safety without help. He didn’t trust Hannibal, but he felt with some certainty that he wasn’t inclined to murder him at this very moment, so he'd follow him till he had the chance to get away or to get the upper hand. Will couldn’t really see Hannibal anymore but he could hear him moving just slowly enough that Will knew he was waiting for him catch up. He released a heavy sigh, hoping this wasn't the worst mistake he'd ever make and followed Hannibal into the forest.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We’re at least a day or two from the last town I saw,” He said to Hannibal’s back. 

Hannibal hadn’t spoken more than a “watch your footing” since they’d left the river. When he got no response he continued, “It’ll go quicker if we make our way to a road.” Hannibal slowed to a stop finally and turned to him. Will stopped, making sure there was enough room between the two of them that he could maneuver if attacked. 

In the dark Will could barely make out the pattern on the loose button-up Hannibal was wearing, but the hard edges of Hannibal’s face managed to catch enough light to make his expression of amusement plain. “You’ve seen for yourself that the roads in this area are unsafe, Will. Our best course of action would be to stick to the forest until we cross the border into Vilnius.”

“Vilnius?” He felt a bit hysterical all of a sudden and quashed the smile that tried to come to his face. “You have to be joking. That’s at least 3 days by foot.”

“At least,” He acknowledged with a nod, “But I have no intention of delivering myself back to my captors or any of the other guerrilla groups in this area, so we will be taking the path I choose. If you do not wish to continue you can find the road by travelling east along the...”

“Hannibal Lecter, I am placing you under arrest you have the right to... ”

“You have no power here, Will.” Hannibal’s voice echoed in the dark, “And even if you did, I doubt the men looking to sell me to the highest bidder care about your noble intentions of bringing me to justice. They would likely kill you to make sure you didn’t get a part of the reward.”

“We are going to the next village and I’m calling the embassy from there.”

“Where do you think I was when I was captured?” Will turned his face toward the east, trying to calculate his travel time. If he made to the road by dawn, made it to town in the early morning and enlisted the local police force to help him search... Maybe they would be more cooperative now that he knew for sure that Hannibal was in the area? Though he had the feeling that several of the men at the station would be just as likely to kill him for the reward as the militants in the area. 

“Fuck!” He said emphatically enough to wake a nearby bird that squawked indignantly back at him.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Untitled Bedelia/Hannibal scene: A season 1 AU snippet. ___

“You care about him?” Hannibal was quite sure that Bedelia hadn’t meant to be rude when she interrupted him, but he took a moment to straighten his cuffs in a show of his displeasure. 

Her eyes flicked to his wrists quickly, a small smile showing him that the message had been received. “I do.” He admitted with a nod. “But that is hardly the point of our conversation.”

“Isn’t it?” Her smile lost some of its subtly. “For the past several years you have come to see me regularly, but never so many visits is such a short time frame. Why do you think that is?”

“You think I’m attracted to him and coming to you to help me come out of the closet?” He tried to tone down some of incredulity he felt as he spoke, but Bedelia was too proficient in her craft to come to such a conventional conclusion.

“That is not what I am saying at all.” She shifted in her seat slightly. “I’ve known you for a long time Hannibal...”

“And you should know I select my lovers based on the qualities of the individual not necessarily their gender.”

She tilted her head in acknowledgement, “Yes, but you didn’t care about any of them.”

He hesitated. He felt the slight catch in his breath and the freezing of his muscles. It was an unusual enough occurrence that he looked to Bedelia for confirmation that his mental state had translated physically. Her eyes reflected little more than interest, but he was quite certain she was simply being polite enough not to mention his flinch.

“Telling a patient how they feel. A novel approach, Bedelia. Perhaps, I will integrate your method into my practice.” 

“I simply made an observation based on our recent conversations and from years as your psychiatrist.” Her smile faded somewhat as she cast her eyes down to watch his hands. “Do you want to make him your lover? Seduce your patient?”

“He is not my patient.”

“Don’t argue semantics with me, Hannibal. You have a therapeutic relationship with Mr. Graham whether he or the FBI acknowledge it as such is irrelevant.”

Hannibal felt the corner of his lip curl back in amusement, “So, I’m coming to you to seek forgiveness or permission, perhaps?”

“Hardly. I think if you wanted to pursue an affair with Mr. Graham you could arrange to do so, you’re an intelligent man used to making systems work for him, even systems created for patient well-being.” Hannibal watched the subtle movements in the musculature of her face. She was running her tongue along the inside of her teeth as she thought, her eyes dropping to where her own hands lay clasped together on her crossed knees. “I think you’re here because you’re afraid.”

His reflexive scoff brought her eyes back to his. “You’ve just said I have nothing to fear. That I could outsmart the FBI, subvert the standards of our field and make William mine, if I so desired. What would I have to fear?”

“That isn’t what I meant and you know it, Hannibal.” She shifted slightly causing him to take stock of his own posture. He was leaning forward slightly. An aggressive posture he had no desire to push, so he settled back into his chair. “He would be able to see wouldn’t he? Perhaps he’s already caught a glimpse of the man you hide so carefully? Or maybe it’s that you want him to and that frightens you. ”

He did not need to ask her explain herself. She was referring to the human veil she believed he used to keep others away from his true self. Of course, it was quite the opposite, the veil allowed his true self to exist, kept it safe, allowed him to participate in the world.


	4. Untitled Jensen/Misha RPF

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This RPF is set after real-life incident at a con a year or so ago. Jared and Misha had been wrestling around and Jensen got involved trying to help Misha and apparently ended up getting pretty scrapped up. This is, of course, an AU of what happened after those events.

He’d really had too much to drink. Really, really too much. Especially for a guy who needed to catch a 6 am flight in...how many hours? A deep rumble of laughter next to him made him wince. “It’s after 1 am,” Misha supplied, sounding way too sober for someone who had matched him drink for drink.

“Shit,” He said letting his head fall back against the elevator wall. “I’ll still be drunk.”

“No, you won’t,” Misha assured taking his hand to look at the bruises and scrapes from last night’s drinking adventure, “you’ll go back to your room, drink a bottle of water, take two aspirin,” Misha flipped his hand, moving the band of his watch to he could look at the scrap the buckle had made the night before, “take a nap and wake up just tipsy enough to be your usual charming self.”

Misha tilted his head, a wry smile playing the corner of his mouth as he tugged the watch back into place, “but you should probably put something on these. They're starting to look a little angry.”

“Yeah, the whole hero thing never runs as smooth in the real world does it?” It wasn’t a real question, but the tension that fluttered across Misha’s face was real enough. “I don’t need,” the door opened as the elevator came to their floor, “...saving, Jen.”

He felt his face pinching as he followed Misha out, “You know some people would say thanks,” He lowered his voice when Misha gave him a look over his shoulder. “Just saying,” he mumbled even as he felt a flutter of embarrassment about his over-reaction last night. It wasn’t like Jared was trying to hurt anyone, but sometimes he reminded Jen of a teenager still growing into his body and he could be clumsy.

He heard Misha’s light chortle, “You are so...” Misha trailed off, shaking his head as they slowed to a stop in front of Misha’s room. His room was just around the corner and every instinct he had told him he should just go on, but, “So what?”

Misha face showed his surprise when he turned, his mouth slightly open. He turned away when he found himself noticing the way the hallways low light made the slight moisture on Misha’s lips shine. “Nothing, Jen. We’re drunk and I’m...” He shook his head as he slid his keycard into the slot on the door. 

The door’s green light looked unusually bright in the darkened hallway. He watched as Misha pulled the handle and slipped into the room. He hesitated for only a moment before catching the door and following Misha through the door. “Okay, now I know something is wrong. You never not saying what you’re thinking.”

Misha didn’t even turn around as he walked down the short entryway and into his suite. “I’m not sure that made sense, but you know what I mean.” He continued as he followed Misha into the suite's small living room. Misha turned on a lamp next to the small couch, giving the room a soft glow. He heard Misha’s heavy sigh, as he flopped down on the couch and turned his face up to meet Jen's. “You do not want to talk about this. Hell, I don’t want to talk about this. Go to your room, Jen.”

He felt his lips purse tightly. He didn’t lose his temper often, but Misha was rarely this cagey with him. “You’ve obviously got something to say, so say it.”

Misha let out a long even breath, he was half-sure he was going to be asked to leave again, but waited as Misha’s face contorted like he didn't know how to form the words he wanted to say. “You can play it off as a joke if you want, but I saw your face last night when you thought Jared was going to hurt me.” Misha looked at him as he measured out each word, “You were just about to lose it. I thought you were really going to take a swing at him for a second.”

He felt his face flush as much as it had the night before, when he’d seen Jared pick Misha up and start throwing him around over his shoulder. Only this time it was in embarrassment instead of the rush of anger he’d felt when he thought Misha was going to be hurt. He thought he’d hidden his anger well as he joined in on the ‘fun’. Managing to extract Misha at the cost of a few scuffed fingers and some rug burn. “Well, if the two of you could manage to act like grown men.” He countered taking a deep breath of his own, because getting angry and defensive would only go so far with Misha before he shut you out.

“Oh, so you were pissed at the way we were acting and not because you thought Jared was going to hurt me?”

He let his weight fall as he leaned his shoulder against the corner wall of the entryway where broke out into the small room. “You’re my friend. I don’t want you getting hurt. Course I’m going to get mad if I think that’s going to happen.”

“But it wasn’t. Jared wasn’t going to hurt me. As a matter of fact I’d say you racing in to ‘save’ me did more damage than anything Jared would have done.” He wanted to argue the point, but he really didn’t have a leg to stand on. Even if Jared had dropped him, it would have probably have been less injurious than all of them being balled up on the floor had been.

“Fine then, I’ll let you two goofs go at it next time.” He was too drunk to fight over this and it was a stupid argument anyway. He stiffened ready to make his goodbye and get back to his room. 

“You know I’ve seen that look before, Jen. Hell, I’ve felt that way about Vicki and West when...when you think someone is going to hurt someone you care about it.” He gestured toward his chest, “That insane rage that takes a second to get under control.” He felt frozen for a moment waiting for and dreading Misha’s next words. “When I saw that look on your face, I thought, I think...”

“I don’t,” He forced the words out of his suddenly dry mouth. “I...uh, am going to my room.”

Misha huffed at him, “You know maybe if we just talk about it, everything can stop being so strained between us all the time.”

“Things aren’t strained,” He made an expansive gesture, “And there’s nothing to talk about it.”

“Jen,” Misha’s voice had a pleading tone as he stood. 

“What?” Misha didn’t answer, but he did stand and take several steps across the room so that now they were face to face.

“It's..,” Misha hesitated, his eyebrow crinkling, “It’s okay for us to have feelings for each other.”

He felt like a lump of ice had just been dropped in his stomach. He felt his mouth open, but nothing came out.

“If we talked about it, maybe just so we know where we stand with each other,”

Where they stood? “I’m married and you’re married and even if I wasn’t, I’m not bi or gay and we’re just friends, that’s it. That’s where we stand.”

“I know that you and Dani don’t have an open relationship and I’m not trying to interfere or change that, but I think you’re fooling yourself if you think you don't want me to suck your dick.” He’d half expected Misha to break into a smile and make a joke out of his words, but the look on his face was possibly the most serious he’d seen him outside of work.

“Okay, this conversation is over.” He was getting ready to turn and head for the door when he felt Misha’s hand in the crook of his arm. “You know it’s not even the cock-sucking that bothers you. I’ve had a lot of straight guys get over themselves long enough to let me wrap my lips around their dicks. I think you’re more upset that there might be some feelings attached to the act.”

He pulled hard, almost sending himself off-balance as he tugged his arm out of Misha’s grasp. He felt his mouth tighten as his anger grew. He was not going to talk about this anymore. “You know I feel the same.” Misha’s words were spoken high and fast, but they were enough to cause him to stop. "About you. That it wouldn't be just sex."


	5. The Angel of Perdition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So do you remember when Dean was in Purgatory and looking for Cas in Season 8? Yeah it was awesome. Anyway this is a little snippet about one of the creatures he interrogated during his search. It was a werewolf that knew where Castiel was and told Dean before Dean executed him.

Yaaqob of Purgatory

“Brother?” Yaaqob winced at the slight echo his voice created as it vibrated off the walls of the small cliff they had taken refuge in. He had been tending the small fire intently, trying to build some warmth in the small inlet without alerting others to his... to their presence and had been taken off guard by Castiel’s sudden presence. 

The thought that he had seen an angel in this place was almost overwhelming for him. The flame of his faith burned bright in his heart and his memory, but the look on his brother’s face forced him to temper his rapture. “It is done, then?”

Castiel did not speak as he came into a stoop by the fire. “I...” His brother sounded so lost and it made his heart ache with a remembered pain of his own. “I couldn’t do it.” 

Yaaqob’s relief at the revelation was something of a surprise. He had not agreed with Castiel’s plan, but had not spoken against it either. “You found him, though?” 

“Yes,” Castiel swallowed, turning his face away from the fire. “And?” Yaaqob prompted, his curiosity getting the best of him once again. 

“He was asleep,” Castiel spoke into the night air, “they had found a safe place to stay for the night.” Yaaqob almost felt embarrassed thinking of Dean Winchester in such a vulnerable state, especially after all he had learned about the man from the angel before him. When Yaaqob had first heard of the angel’s presence from the creatures that inhabited this place, he hadn’t believed, but as time passed and he’d sensed the presence of something not quite, not quite like anything he’d ever felt before he let hope and that feeling guide him to Castiel.

He wouldn’t say that he was disappointed by what he found, but Castiel had been nothing like the angel’s his parents and his faith had taught him. “The creature traveling with him was keeping watch,” Again, sadness permeated Castiel’s words, “but when I saw Dean. I could not bare the thought...”

“I think your reaction was a natural one,” Yaaqob’s mind flashed to one of his last memories. It is was not a good one. The look utter loss on his mother’s face had been so painful he’d had to turn away even as she called for him to look at her and confess his sins before God. “No one wants to be forgotten by the ones they love, even those we have wronged.”

“You had no choice in the matter!” Yaaqob’s started at the power in Castiel’s voice. True, he’d been turned against his will, but he’d known after his first full moon that something was wrong. And his sister had paid the price of his silence.

Castiel seemed to deflate as his sank further into himself. “Dean would not be here, if not for me. He should not waste his time looking for me if it is true that there is a way for him to leave this place.”

“Even if you took his memories would not his companion continue his search?”

“No, I don’t believe so. He is eager to return to earth and would take the opportunity to leave.”


	6. Cha-Cha-Changes or How a Starship Captain Figures It All Out

“Jim, just let him play a bit. Let him get comfortable.” Carol’s voice held only the slightest reprimand as she spoke. At least, it seemed she was trying to be more accommodating today than she had been over the weekend. Of course, showing up at her apartment to ‘surprise’ David had been a spectacularly bad plan from the beginning, but he’d chosen to believe that the sweet little boy he spoke to over subspace every week would be so happy to see his daddy that all would be forgiven. 

The meltdown that occurred when David laid eyes on a man he hadn’t seen in person in a year and a half had been so epic as to be scarring to both Jim’s ears and ego. The creeping fear of a recurrence was making him nervous and he realized, as David wiggled in his arms, a bit clingy.

“Oh, sure.” He felt his eyebrows raise, “You wanna play buddy?” Jim asked as David continued to struggle to free himself from his father’s arms. Getting no response to his question, he reluctantly released David, crouching down to make sure his feet hit the soft ground squarely. He tried to stay positive even as David all but tore himself from Jim’s embrace and raced to a nearby sandbox. 

Jim stood slowly, risking a glance at Carol has she watched David join the small group of children already sharing the sandbox.

“I know what you’re thinking.” She said calmly, keeping her face forward. “You think I’m the bad guy, don’t you?” 

Jim started as she turned to face him. He hadn’t been consciously thinking that, but it would be dishonest of him to say that he wasn’t, on some subconscious level, blaming her for the distance between him and David. 

“Well, you did take him away from me.” He grimaced at the accusatory tone as her eyes narrowed in on him. He lifted a hand to forestall her rebuttal. “That was unfair! You were... are doing what’s best for you and David. I just don’t see why you have to do on the other side of the galaxy.”

A small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. “I’m the one staying in one spot, Jim. You’re the one jumping all over the galaxy.” She shifted her focus back to David. Jim’s eyes followed hers, a smile tugging at his own lips as he watched David grab handfuls of sand to drop into a red pail. 

“Yeah, I know.” He said on an exhale, feeling exhausted suddenly. He waved toward a bench that was close enough that they could keep an eye on David, but far enough away from the small group playing in the sandbox that it would keep their conversation private.

They sat quietly watching David play as a slight breeze ruffled a lock of Carol’s hair causing it to fly up over her brow. She was a beautiful woman. “You know, we could try again.” He rushed to continue when she visibly tensed. “We don’t have to be together. You could come back to the Enterprise and David could be with both of us.”

“Jim, I know you think I was leaving you and the Enterprise got caught in the wake, but listen to me when I say this,” She turned her face, forcing their eyes to meet. “That when I decided to leave, I chose to leave the Enterprise as much as I chose to leave you.” She turned her body slightly toward him as she lowered her voice. “I loved the Enterprise, don’t get me wrong. You were all a family to me after what happened, but I won’t risk my...our son’s life for the greater good of the ship.” 

“I would keep...” He tried to stay calm, he didn’t want to start an argument. 

“You would try. God, Jim! I know you would try to keep him safe, but what about yourself? In the first six months of David’s life you were kidnapped and tortured, imprisoned and tried, oh and let’s not forget lost in time!” 

“We weren’t lost so much as displaced.” He tried weakly. 

“Jim...” 

“Okay, I get your point. And you’re right, it is safer for him here, but if you think not letting him get to know me will make it easier on him if...,” He swallowed, he hated talking about his parents, “...if something happens, you’re wrong.”

She settled back onto the bench crossing her arms as they both shifted their attention back to David. “You know, when I found out,” She hesitated momentarily, “my first thought was ‘I wish I had found out on shore leave’ or at a space station.” Jim drew his attention back to Carol as she stubbornly ignored his efforts to make eye contact. “I knew I couldn’t make you chose us over the Enterprise and I knew staying wouldn’t work.” He wanted to argue that she hadn’t really given them a chance to work, but she was right, they had tried to force themselves into couple hood for David’s sake, but even loving him wasn’t enough to keep them together. He felt a soft ache in his heart that he quickly pushed away. He really couldn’t deal with that now.

“If I had been anywhere else when I found out I would have resigned my commission and you would have never known.”

Jim had to literally bite his tongue to keep from lashing out at her. 

“I know it would have been wrong and probably would have blown up in my face, but believe it or not I was trying to think of you as much as our child.” He scoffed. He couldn’t help it, she was being ridiculous. “Tell me that you’re happy Jim! That we haven’t made your life far more complicated than you ever wanted it to be!”

“Of course things are more complicated but,” Jim smiled as David lifted the half-filled pail high above his head, “I think he might be worth it...” He started as Carol bolted from the bench. Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough to stop David from upending the pail of sand into his face. 

_____________________________________________________________________

“Spock?” That was not Nyota’s voice. He did not dream often, but when he did, he usually recognized it has such within moments. This was no dream. This was Jim whispering rather loudly at him at 3:07 am in Nyota’s bedroom.

“Spock?” 

“We’re awake, Jim.” Nyota muttered as she shifted next to him.

“Oh, hey, Uhrura I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Spock pulled himself into a sitting position. He generally found that being prone in Jim’s presence often resulted in inappropriate language and or groping. “You are slurring your speech, Captain. Am I correct in assuming that you are inebriated yet still somehow still managed to override the security protocols on this building and this apartment to gain access?”

“Yeah, I did.” Spock took a deep breath. 

“Hey, are you impressed or pissed? I’m having a hard time telling in the dark.”

“Unbelievable.” Nyota sighed. 

“Captain, what did you need?” Spock hurried to speak, perhaps if he was able to assist Jim quickly he would leave quietly. 

“Oh,” Jim sat heavily on the edge of bed, using his hands to feel his way to Spock’s side where he proceeded to lay against him, forcing Spock to shuffle closer to Nyota. “I need you to call him for me. He’s got a soft spot for you.”

“To whom are you referring?”

“Old you, uh other Spock. You ask him and tell me or let me listen in, but you’ll have to be stealthy about it....”

Nyota’s wiggled out from underneath the cover to come into a seated position -the mirror of his own, giving Jim a cursory exam with one brow slightly hitched. “You are aware that the Ambassador is steadfast in his will, Jim. He has pledged not to interfere with whatever destiny we build for ourselves.”

“Stop preaching at me, Spock. I’ve had about all I can take of that today.” Spock’s eyes had adjusted enough that he could see Jim’s face in the dim room. He was inebriated, but he was also in deep emotional distress as proven by the thin, shimmering lines down his cheeks where tears had once flowed. 

“I take it that your visit with your son did not go well.” Jim huffed heavily turning his face up as he spoke. “Not go well, is an understatement.” Jim shook his head slightly. “I let him get hurt. I was sitting right there and it didn’t even dawn on me.” 

“Jim, is David alright?” Nyota voice had lost some of its edge. 

“Yeah, got some sand in his eyes, but it hurt and he cried and I just sat there. He didn’t even want me to try and help him.” Spock had rarely ever heard Jim express such doubts about his actions, especially for what sounded like a minor incident.

“I’m fucking it all up, Spock. You gotta ask him for me.” Jim’s voice was taking on an hysterical tone, “That other me had to be better at this. I need to know how he did it.” Desperation, another rarely seen emotion.

“Jim,” “Jim...’ Nyota and he both hesitated to allow the other to speak. Spock nodded to encourage her to proceed. “Children get hurt all the time and his reaction to you today, and yes on Sunday, were natural. Once he gets to know you better, he’ll feel more comfortable around you and loosen up. It just takes time.”

“Uhmp, yeah, probably just in time for us to ship back out in six months.” Spock heard the subtle shift of the covers as Nyota stiffened and Jim fell uncharacteristically still.

He regarded her for a moment, but her eyes were unfocused as they sometimes became when she was lost in thought. 

“Perhaps you should take Nyota’s advice. Surely, as your son grows things will become easier between the two of you.”

“You don’t have a lot of experience with pissed off teenagers trying to get back at their parents do ya, Spock?” Jim sounded amused with himself.

“Actually, I would say that I have more than most.” Jim did not respond for several moments as Spock waited for Jim to ask for follow-up information to his statement as was their habit when speaking. Spock had just begun to wonder if Jim had gone to sleep, when he finally spoke. 

“You guys remember when those aliens who thought they were Gods tried to force us into that threesome?” Jim sounded amused. Spock wondered at his ability to change the subject so absolutely. He was forming a response when he felt Jim go limp at his side, succumbing to his inebriation.

“I’m going go sleep on the couch.” Nyota announced quietly as she scooted off the edge of the bed.

“That is unnecessary, I will...” He was unsure what suggestion to make. He couldn’t force Jim out in such a state and carrying him to the couch seemed impractical and likely to result in a tussle with Jim.

“What? You’ll take the couch?” Nyota huffed a small laugh as she rolled her eyes. “I will accompany you.” He tried.

“Don’t worry about it Spock. Just grab a couple of hours. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“As you wish,” He replied with a small nod. He watched her exit the small bedroom, a pillow under her arm. He’d felt an uneasiness between them for weeks and hoped that their conversation would shed some light on the situation. 

Feeling Jim’s body curl towards him brought his attention back to his friend. He noted that Jim appeared to be sleeping fitfully. He would probably be more comfortable if Spock helped him to remove some of his clothing, but a drunken Jim, was rather ‘handsy’ as Dr. McCoy liked to say, so he decided to lie back down, and try to find a few moments of rest.

__________________________________________________________________

Spock looked around the small living room, confirming that Nyota had not taken up residence on the couch as she had promised. He felt the air stir and followed the morning breeze to the small deck just off the kitchen area. It was one of her favored areas to seek refuge when she needed time to think. 

“Nyota?” He called softly. It was unlikely that she was asleep in one of the chairs she kept on the deck, but he did not want to startle her just in case. “I’m here,” came her calm, quiet response. He stepped out onto the deck, a shiver travelling up his spine as the cool air enveloped him. She was looking out over the horizon toward the sun rising, the beams reflecting off the glass of the dozens of high-rises that surrounded her apartment. 

“Good morning, Spock,” She said looking up to him. 

“And to you, Nyota,” He returned.

“Is Jim up?” She asked as she turned to look into the depths of the apartment trying to seek him out.

“No, I think he will require several more hours of rest before he is ready to face the day as he would say.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Did you rest well?” She inquired politely and unusually distant. 

“Nyota, I feel certain that there is something you wish to say to me, yet you seem reluctant to do so. If you would please tell me what has kept you preoccupied so that I may understand your recent change in demeanor I would greatly appreciate your consideration.” 

She turned to him with a small smile. “I’m sorry, Spock. I had intended for us to have this discussion months ago, but kept finding excuses to wait. Even when the mission ended, I wanted to give us just a little while to enjoy being earthbound and responsible to no one but ourselves.” He felt his head tilt as he tried to understand her reasoning.

“I know it was selfish, but Jim showing up here last night,” She shook her head minutely, “well, it’s not fair to you or me to drag this out.”

He felt his back stiffen in realization, “You wish to end our relationship?” He knew his shock was evident in the tone of his voice. 

Nyota shook her head again, “No, and yes. At least our relationship as it stands now.”

He was confused and let it show in his expression, “You are unsatisfied...?” She leaned toward him, laying a gentle hand on his knee. “Not unsatisfied, never that, but I’m ready for the next step in my life and in our relationship and I don’t think you are.”

“You speak of marriage and children. Jim’s words about David, his confusion....”

“I’ve been thinking about children and our future for a long time Spock. Not just because of Jim, though what he’s been going through has helped me to realize what I want and to think about what my next steps might look like.” She pulled her hand back to settle in her own lap. “I notice that you haven’t been looking to a future beyond the Enterprise,”

“I would not say that I have not been thinking of the future, Nyota. I would only say that my assumption was that our lives would continue in much the same manner they have for the past 5 years. ”

“Another 5 years, Spock? The Enterprise, Jim as Captain and you at his side. It sounds amazing and if that’s what you truly want then I want you to have it, but I don’t think I do, not anymore. I want other things and as much as I want you to share those things with me, I think some time apart would help us both to focus on where we go from here.” 

“A time of reflection during our stay on Earth is a wise and logical choice. I will respect your wishes in this. So, are we to cease all contact during this time or may we still stay acquainted?”

She smiled, though her eyes did not lighten in the manner Spock associated with true happiness. “We will always be friends, Spock.”

“Of course,” He sat back in his seat as Nyota turned her face to the skyline pondering his next move.

_OR should it go like this? ___

“I would not say that I have been reticent, though I may have made the mistake of being presumptuous. I had assumed that once the Enterprise had completed its retrofit and we received our orders for our next mission we would act in accordance with those orders.”

“And what do you think our orders will be?” She prompted, her brow raising into a slight arch.

“With the success of our previous mission and barring an increase in hostilities with the Klingons, I believe it is likely that the Enterprise will be sent back into deep space.”


	7. Cheerios for Champs: The Sequel

“Santana, what are you doing?” He hissed attempting to subtly pull his arm from her freakishly strong hand as she dragged him toward the bleachers lining the field. 

“I’m trying to do you solid, Hummer...,” she smiled sweetly as they passed Quinn, “...el.”

“No, you’re playing games.” Kurt whispered heatedly, digging his heels into the turf of the football field. David, Azimio and Strando had been standing near the edge of the field while the team practiced their Nationals routine. Kurt had seen them laughing and talking while keeping their eyes on the field.

Santana looked over her shoulder at him, pulling hard on his elbow to get him moving again, “Maybe or maybe I’m just tired of Karofsky’s stalking you.” She gave him a wink, “He’s obviously looking for an excuse to talk to you and believe it or not this isn’t the first time I’ve volunteered to be the meat in a man sandwich.” 

Kurt’s eyes widened in horror as he pulled sharply in an attempt to free himself from the insane person he was obviously dealing with; nearly ending up on his backside when Santana choose that moment to release him.

“Hey, Karofsky,” She purred pouring herself all over David as he backed into Azimio, his mouth dropping open in surprise. “Hey,” He stuttered, looking over Santana’s shoulder and into Kurt’s eyes. It was the first time their eyes had met for more than a second since the ‘incident’ in the locker room. 

They had seen each other since then, of course. Spending a few minutes next to each other at the celebration bonfire after the game, before Azimio had beckoned him to join him for a ‘real’ party at his house, but nothing longer than a quick glance or a passing word. 

“Just give me a few minutes to freshen up baby and you can take me and my girlfriends to the Bean.” She whispered making sure the words were loud enough to draw smiles from Strando and Z. She threw her chin in Kurt’s direction to indicate that she thought of him as one of her ‘girlfriends’, causing him to roll his eyes.

David’s eyes dropped down to Santana’s, his brow drawing together in confusion, “Uh, yeah sure, that’s cool,” he said, his voice growing more confident as he spoke.

Santana slid off him as she took a few steps back, giving Z and Strando a wicked smile as she moved. “Come on Kurt,” she said taking his arm and directing him toward the girl’s locker room. He never used the girl’s locker room, but the hallway leading to the girl’s locker room would afford him the privacy he needed to find out exactly what the hell Santana thought she was doing, so he followed her willingly.

He smiled weakly at a few of the girls who were still getting drilled by Coach Sylvester. They had missed a few steps and were making up for it with some extra practice time. Kurt winced in sympathy. Coach Sylvester’s extra practices usually involved at least an hour of tortuous repetitions with a bullhorn in your face, but he didn’t have time to help them now, he had to help himself.

“Okay, stop!” He hissed taking the hand Santana had on his arm off rather forcefully. “What are you doing?”

She released a pained sigh as she crossed her arms, canting one hip as her dark eyes focused on him, “I told you. I am doing you a solid. Karofsky’s going to buy me and Brit some coffee and one of those giant cookies so the two of you can make goo-goo eyes at each other without worrying about what everyone else thinks.” She shrugged her shoulders, “It’ll make Karofsky look like he’s putting up with you so he can bang me. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you boys can get a few minutes together. There’s more than one stall in men’s room there, right?” Her eyes drew away as though she were trying to remember something, but couldn’t quite reel in, causing his stomach to throat to fill with bile.

“I’m not doing anything in a bathroom stall with anybody, Santana. Did...did David ask you to arrange this?” He hated how insecure his voice sounded as he spoke.

She rolled her eyes dramatically, “Are you kidding me? He can barely see past the end of his dick right now. Besides someone had to do something. He’s been following you around like some sort of lovesick seal. This is strictly a public service I’m providing. You,” she shoved a nail into his chest, “should be grateful that me and Brittany are willing to help.”

“Brittany? You told her?” He felt his cheeks tighten as they turned, what he was sure, must be neon red. “Are you insane? She’ll tell everyone in school.” Santana turned to walk away from him. “Brittany won’t tell anyone about anything, if I tell her not to. She can be very tight-lipped when she wants to be. Now stop your bitchin’ and go get ready for our coffee date.” She turned and walked away from him, effectively ending the conversation for now. 

He shook his head as she walked away. He was so frustrated he had a half a mind to bail on them both, but he did want to talk to David, so instead he stomped his way to the men’s locker room so he could change for their, oh God, date.

_______________________________

David was looking around the shop, Kurt supposed he was trying to make sure that no one was looking at them, as they took up the only corner booth in the Bean. Santana had staked Brittany at the booth while they ordered, so she was already there when Santana slid in next to her, followed by David and himself.

David had ended up with his and Santana’s drinks and cookies while Santana sat Brittany’s hot chocolate in front of her, giving her a warm smile when Brittany’s face brightened. It was such a sweet smile that if he hadn’t been Santana’s frenemy for the last two years he would have thought that she actually had a heart under all that mascara.

David fumbled with Santana’s drink and cookie as they settled in, casting a sidelong glance at Kurt as he ever so slightly scooted closer to him as Kurt had made himself comfortable. David had such a lovely profile, it was too bad that he was too much of a... No! He was not going to pass judgment on David’s unwillingness to come out. It was really none of his business after all and apart from well, owing him one, it was not up to him to make any decisions regarding David’s sexual... “Ah!” He gasped when he felt David’s hand on settle gently on his knee, forcing him to mimic David and dart his eyes around the room to make sure no one was able to see them.

Santana shook her head at him pityingly as Brittany played in the foam on her hot chocolate. “Did a spring get you Kurt?” Brittany asked, then without waiting for his answer whispered to Santana, “Does that mean he’s not a virgin anymore?”

David’s eyes went to his as his brow furrowed. Santana snorted, “Hummer’s so tight I doubt even something that small would make past those ass cheeks of steel.”

“Hey!” 

“Santana!”

David’s voice chimed in forcefully over Kurt’s hiss. Kurt studied the floor for a moment while David studied his coffee cup. His hand was still on Kurt’s knee, but it was twitching like he was thinking about taking it away.

He couldn’t decide if he wanted David to get his hands off him or flirt back. He huffed dramatically at Santana’s threatening glare and put his hand on top of David’s, feeling it relax on his thigh. 

“So Hummer...” A sound similar to a growl left David’s throat as Santana corrected herself, “So, Kurtsie didn’t you say that you needed David to give you a ride home later?”

What the hell was her game? “Just back to my car at school.” He replied coolly. “Oh, but you said that Brittany and I could use your car tonight to go the movies. Don’t you remember?”

“No, I don’t remember,” He halted when he felt David’s hand tighten on his knee, “but I’m glad you reminded me. And, oh” He turned to look at David seductively under his lashes, “thanks for the ride, David.”

David’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, causing Kurt’s body to react viscerally as he remembered the last time he’d seen David convulsively swallowing something. 

Okay he was officially going to hell and he didn’t even believe it existed. No wonder Mercedes referred to Santana as Satan, she was totally leading him astray, well even more astray than he already was.

David brought his coffee to his lips, he looked a little confused and hopeful and like he didn’t quite know what to do next so Kurt clarified things for him by pulling David's to the inside of thighs and crossing his leg to trap David’s to trap it there. David choked and sputtered as he sat the coffee down and looked at Kurt then quickly away as his cheeks turned pink.

“Doesn’t the movie start soon, Santana? Hadn’t you better get going?” He suggested blithely as he squeezed his thigh muscles around David’s hand. David caught on quickly massaging the muscles under his hand. He hoped that Santana took his cue, because if David spent much longer stroking his thigh he might have to investigate the bathrooms at the Bean after all.

“Yeah, let’s get going.” David’s voice was rough and gravelly as he began to make scooting motions with his other hand at Santana and Brittany. Santana took a moment to put the lid back on Brittany’s drink as David used his body to start moving them out of the booth. “Jesus, keep your panties on Karofsky we’re going,” Santana complained as Brittany moved to the end of the booth and stood.

“Hey, we could all go to see the movie.” She suggested as Santana narrowed her eyes at her, like Brittany had just ruined her plans. “I’ve already seen it.” Kurt offered, even though he had no idea what movie they were talking about. 

He shivered as they reached the end of the booth and David's hand slid from between his thighs. Kurt eyed him as David’s apparently lust-addled brain had them taking the long way out of the booth. Kurt stood taking his cup and going to retrieve a few breath mints from the tin by the cash register for him and David. Being horny was no excuse for coffee breath kisses, not to mention the fact that he needed a moment to think about this. 

There were probably a hundred reasons he shouldn’t climb into David’s car, not the least of which it meant letting Santana manipulate him into getting whatever it was she wanted from the deal, but he could still feel the press of David’s lips against his abdomen and the way he had stroked his thigh. He popped one of the mints in his mouth and put two more in his pocket, his eyes skating away from the cashier, who was giving him a ‘hey, those are for everyone,’ look as he dropped his still steaming coffee in the garbage receptacle and caught up with David at the door.

__________________________________

“So?” David’s voice was hesitant, “You live off Allentown right?”

Kurt tilted his head as he considered the fact that David had never been to his home yet seemed to know its location. “I do, but if you want we can go someplace else.”

David shifted excitedly, “Yeah, that’d be cool. We could go to the park. It’s on the way.”

Kurt tried to fight a smile, “Isn’t that a little cliché?” 

“Uh?”

“Gay guys, public parks. Tell me someone has mentioned this to you.”

“Oh, gross, no not like that. Just, I don’t know, I thought we could...”

“What David?” His voice had a cynical edge to it, but really what was David thinking, “Walk hand and hand in the park or have a picnic together. I’m sure that would work out wonderfully.”

“Okay, Jesus, do you have to be such a bitch about it? Not the park.” David’s excitement had deflated and he considered easing off, but he needed to make sure that David was very clear about Kurt’s intentions.

“Listen, David, I don’t want to send you any mixed signals here. The sex the other night was amazing and I would like to finish what we started, but we are not boyfriends.”

“I didn’t say we were,” David grumbled. Kurt saw that David’s cheeks were turning pink, but he was unsure if it was due to anger or embarrassment.

“Let’s just go to my house. My dad and his wife are out and Finn’s at Rachel’s so we should have a couple of hours on our own.” David looked at him, licking his bottom lip as he considered Kurt’s proposal. “That’s fine,” He said finally and made the turn on to Kurt’s street.

_____________________________________

“You should park in the garage,” He offered attempting to sound casual. He knew David might take the request as an insult, but really it would be for the best. David’s car was pretty distinctive and without Finn here there would be no reason for David to be at his house. Hell, even with Finn here there wouldn’t be a reason for David to be here. 

He dug through his bag for the garage opener he had grabbed out of his visor as Santana took off in his car. He really hoped that his dad was too tired to notice that his vehicle wasn’t in the garage or that Finn would cover for him, if needed. Their unofficial ‘bro code’ compelled them to save one another’s ass at the drop of a hat, but Finn wasn’t the greatest at thinking on his feet and if dad asked about the car before Kurt had the chance to brief him, it could go badly for him.

He hit the garage door button as David put the car into park and turned it off. He sat there looking out the windshield and into the dim light of the well-kept garage. Okay, maybe the park wasn’t such a bad idea after all? Why the hell did he suggest his room ...at his house ...in his bed? Blaine had slept in the bed a sum total of one time and they’d only ever been intimate there a handful of times, preferring Blaine’s nearly always barren house or his car. There was an access road that they’d used a few times, maybe that would work better?

He opened his mouth to suggest they move to neutral territory only to halt when David cupped his chin and gently turned his face. David looked at him as the garage lights dimmed. They would click off in just a minute and with the sun already gone... David pressed his lips to Kurt’s. It was a light, soft, questioning kind of press that forced Kurt’s attention back to the man next to him. “Is it...can we stay here?” He whispered.

“Yeah, we can stay here.” David said coming in for another kiss. He was twisting around trying to reach around him in the confined space. “Let’s move to the back. See if we can’t make ourselves a little more comfortable.” Kurt noticed that his own voice had taken on a seductive tone as his arousal and confidence grew. How could it not, though really? David was looking at him like he was the next Ryan Gosling as he watched Kurt while he backed his way out of the front seat of his car. 

The slamming door spurred him to action. He opened his own door taking a deep breath as he climbed out of the car and began peeling off his top layer. He tossed his jacket and scarf onto the top of the washer-dryer unit. He would need to retrieve those later, but having the washing machine nearby might be handy.

As he turned he found David taking his jacket off and setting it on the hood of his car before moving to the back door and pulling it open. He scrambled in, pulling at the bottom of his tee so that it was hanging outside of his jeans as he sat in the back seat. Kurt followed suit, pulling at his shirt and unbuttoning his sleeves at the cuff. 

He pulled the door open and climbed in to the back of David's SUV. David was breathing hard, causing the windows to steam. It brought back some of his nerves. He and Blaine had spent many an afternoon in the backseat of the his corolla and many of his firsts were associated with those back seats, but this wasn’t like that so... he leaned forward catching David’s eye. “Kiss me, David,” He ordered a slight grin coming to his face. It was time to make some new memories anyway.

He’d barely spoken the words before David was scooting toward him. They embraced as they kissed. David moving closer at the same time he was pulling him closer. David’s roaming hands were nearly desperate in their exploration. He couldn’t blame his enthusiasm really. He’d been masturbating on a daily basis thinking about David’s lips on his cock and his belly and his lips. David was moaning as they kissed, the vibration humming against his lips.

He threw a leg over David’s lap as they continued to kiss and twist around in the confined space. He tried to pull David on top of him, but felt resistance and pulled back from his lips, “I’m too big to lay you, you lay on me,” He suggested, pulling Kurt’s shoulders forward as he moved his legs from the floor to the seat. They ended up chest to chest, with Kurt looking down at David’s obviously uncomfortable position, “Here move a little so you’re setting up, it looks like you’re going to snap your spine.” 

David moved as Kurt requested, “Okay, no one ever has this much trouble finding a position in porn and I’ve seen those guys get it on at construction sites.” David complained as they kept adjusting their positions.

Kurt smiled, giving David a peck on the lips, “They cut out all the non-sexy jumbling around to find a comfortable position stuff. It destroys the fantasy.” 

“Yeah,” David said low and satisfied, “well, I think we’ve found our spot.” He said, pulling Kurt down for another kiss. 

This was nice. They hadn’t kissed that much last time, actually not until after the sex part now that Kurt thought about it. David’s hands were quietly exploring his body, stopping to squeeze any parts that made Kurt moan. Kurt’s hands had been exploring David’s broad chest, tweaking his nipples through his t-shirt so that they stood out as hard little points as David gasped and writhed under his lips.

Under normal circumstances he could do this for hours, but this wasn’t normal at least not for him, so he slid his hands down David’s chest and under his shirt to begin working on his fly. David gave him a very satisfying high-pitched gasp in response, as his hips thrust up into Kurt, “It’s okay,” He said pulling back and licking his lips as he slowly pulled down David’s zipper, “just sit back and relax. We don’t have to worry about a whole football team finding us this time.”

“Yeah,” David replied throatily, “we can take our time,” He said lifting Kurt’s face up as he started to move down David’s body and stealing another kiss. “We can kiss some more first, if you want.” He said between wet, sloppy kisses. Kurt felt a shiver run down his spine. He usually was fastidious about body fluids, but David’s passionate abandonment of all propriety when it came to sharing them was starting to make Kurt see the allure. 

He forced his eyes shut. This was bad. He didn’t want to think about what David was like as a lover, because they weren’t lovers they were fuck-buddies at best and they both needed to remember it. He pulled away from David’s lip and slid down his body, fumbling with David’s tightey-whitey’s as he moved. He almost let himself think that it was adorable that David wore them, before forcing his focus back on the task at hand and pulling the waistband down enough to allow David’s erection to spring free. 

“Whoa!” Kurt felt his eyes widen. He hadn’t had the chance to get so up close and personal with David’s penis the last time, so he took a moment to appreciate it's girth.


	8. Field of Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I want to send a shout-out to theraisingirl on AO3. When I was working on this story she did me a favor and beta'd the first couple of chapters for me. Thanks for the help. Please know that all remaining mistakes are my own.

“You’ll keep an eye on him for me?” Kurt’s hopeful face was hard to say no too.

“Well?” He hedged, “I’ll try Kurt, but he’s not going to like it. I mean, it’s bad enough that he has to repeat a year of school after everything that happened and I’m not his favorite person...”

Kurt huffed loud enough that Blaine could have sworn that he felt air come through the speakers. “He’s nervous and none of his friends are still at McKinley,” Kurt said then mumbled something that sounded like, “which is probably a good thing,” before continuing, “and he’ll need someone to support him.” Kurt lifted his eyes to the camera on his computer in such a way that Blaine felt like he was actually in the room with him. An aching knot twisted in his stomach, forcing him to take a breath. 

He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t let Kurt see how much his absence affected him, so he swallowed the emotion down. “Do you want me to like check in with him every day or something?”

Kurt grimaced as his eyes went distant, “No, I don’t think he would respond well to that. Just sit next to him in a class or uh, go watch Sam at football practice.”

He felt a brow arch, “You want me to go watch Sam at football practice?”

Kurt glared at his computer screen, “For David, not Sam, though I suppose you would get to see the boys in their football pants.” Kurt was eyeing him through the screen, “if you need an extra incentive to do the right thing.”

“I’ll try Kurt, but he hasn’t said a word to me in like two years, so I hope you don’t expect us to become friends.”

“Of course not, though...” Kurt trailed off looking nervous as he chewed on his bottom lip, “he’s changed a lot since the last time you spoke to him and he’s grown up a lot. He’s not totally comfortable in his own skin yet, but he’s getting there. Who knows? Maybe you guys will end up being Senior year buddies!” Kurt’s face cleared as he injected some pep into his final words.

“Yeah, l kinda doubt that.”

“Well, you never know. Senior year changes a lot of things. I mean who would have thought that Santana and Rachel would decide to be roommates?”

“I thought you said Rachel had to stay with you and Finn last week because Santana threw a fit about her evening routine?”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “Yes, well, if there wasn’t drama it wouldn’t be Rachel and Santana would it?”

“I guess,” He responded, disheartened. It was nearly time for him to go and Kurt hadn’t even given him an opinion about his first day as a Senior bowtie and vest combo. “I’ll call you after school.” He said grumpily.

“Oh, okay?” Kurt seemed a little confused by his ill-temper, but gave him a warm smile nonetheless. “Have a great day and good luck with Glee club!”

Blaine smiled despite his ire, “Yeah, you to, -day that is, and good luck finishing up the apartment.”

“Thanks, Love you. Bye.” Kurt said reaching for the disconnect as he spoke.

“Bye,” He said to an empty screen. Senior year was going to suck.

______________________________

“Get your gear on, Anderson!” Beiste bellowed, before blowing her whistle to get everyone’s attention.

Several sets of eyes fell on him instead of the coach. “I’m not on the team.” He said, opening in hands in a sweeping gesture.

“You’re on my field. You’re on my team, now stop spitting in my face and calling it sunshine and get changed.” 

He looked helplessly to Sam who just shrugged, “Hey, I had to spend all summer trying out and practicing. Dude, you’ll get a letterman jacket!” He said, excitedly. 

Okay, so Sam was officially crazy. He looked to the other team members trying to decide if the best thing to do would be to change and remind the Coach after practice that he wasn’t actually on the team or just go to the locker room and never come back.

He heard someone breathing heavily and mumbling gruffly. He turned to find David staring, what could only be described as daggers, at him. His jaw was set and his lips were pursued together so tightly that they were almost white. If David’s aim had been to scare him off, he’d sorely miscalculated. “I’ll be back in five, Coach,” he said as he started to do a half-run toward the locker room. His gym bag was in there along with some sweats that should work for today.

___________________________________

“Anderson, kicker and punter!” Blaine felt his mouth turn down at the words but Beiste just ignored his shock and continued calling out names and positions.

He looked at Sam, who was also ignoring him in favor of the high-fives he was getting from the rest of the team for making quarterback. “What the hell?” He said to no one in particular as the team began to disperse for the locker rooms to celebrate.

“What the hell are you doing?” Blaine knew he still looked as flabbergasted as he felt when David stepped into his personal space. “I’m not doing anything Karofsky. I don’t even know what just happened!”

David’s jaw clenched tightly as he shook his head. “You think just because you can kick you can play football?”

“Well, the Coach does apparently and fuck you, Karofsky.” 

“Fuck me! You’re the one that’s going to end up a blood splatter on the field.”

“I can hold my own just fine, David,” He gritted out as he stepped close enough that he was chest to chest with the man. 

David shook his head slowly, as he took a slow breath, “Whatever, Anderson. Just don’t expect me to drag whatever’s left of your ass back to Kurt when the guys on the field are done with you.” David said before turning to follow the rest of the team off the field.

Blaine felt an odd spark of disappointment. He actually had gotten a little excited by the prospect of going mano-a-mano with David. He shook his head at that thought. Okay, maybe he should reconsider football after all. It would be a good outlet for his aggression and help him keep his promise to Kurt while thoroughly pissing off Karofsky. As far as he could see, it was a win-win for him.

___________________________

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Kurt’s high voice caused him to pull the phone back away from his ear as he hit the button to unlock his car.

“Hello to you too,” He responded, suddenly pissed. “Who told you?”

“David!” They said in unison.

“Of course he told me. I’ve been on that field before Blaine and those boys mean business. I know you box, but even Sam has 4 inches and 30 lbs on you and he’s on your side. The other teams won’t care that you can throw a punch or do the perfect heel-kick with those gorgeous calves, they’ll be too busy trying to break your leg.”

“Well, I guess that means David will just have to do his job and make sure those guys don’t get to me.” He snarked. Kurt went quiet and he worried that maybe he’d insulted him, but then Kurt just said, “Let me call you back,” and hung up on him without saying goodbye.

____________________________________________________

“Don’t yell -talk!” He said before Kurt had the chance to start. He heard a sigh through the phone. “Fine, I won’t yell and I talked to David...”

“You what! Kurt tell me that you did not call him!”

“Hmm...”

The pressure of his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose helped to relieve some of the tension and prevented his brain from exploding. “You do realize that I’m never going to be able to earn his respect on the field if he thinks that I have to have my boyfriend run interference for me.”

“David, respects you. He’s just concerned.” Blaine rolled his eyes, grateful Kurt couldn’t see him. “Yeah, right. That’s why he called you so he could tell on me. Which by the way, this is all your fault anyway, if you hadn’t told me to go to practice with Sam I wouldn’t have even been on the field for the try outs.” 

“My fault! David said that were acting like you had to prove something out on that field.”

Had he done that? “A little, I guess but all those guys were looking at me like I was going to break a nail or something and start crying and I guess it pissed me off.” He deflated as he settled into the bucket seat of his car. He wanted to go home and drown his sorrows in something dark and melancholy from the 70’s, but had pledged to his parents that he wouldn’t talk or text while driving.

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

“I know, but I don’t know...I mean, I kind of had fun too. Boxing’s great, but it kind of solitary. I could hang out with Sam, and some of the other guys from the team were talking about joining the Glee club.”

“I’m not saying that you can’t do it. I’m not that much of a control freak. I just want you to do it for the right reasons and to be careful, okay?” 

“I know and I will be. I can do this. Just... I don’t want you and David talking about me behind my back. It makes me feel...I don’t know left out or something.” He knew he sounded like a spoiled child so rolled his eyes at himself this time.

“I’m sorry that wasn’t fair and it wasn’t fair of me to jump all over you like that. I promise I won’t do it again.” Kurt sounded genuinely contrite which was saying something. He did not apologize often. 

“You’re forgiven. I know you were just worried.” 

“I was and I guess maybe still getting used to be so far away from you. It’s hard not to be there sometimes.” That knot in his stomach was back. “Yeah,” He said gruffly.

“I love you,” Kurt said, a note of sadness in his voice.

“I love you too,” He said before giving Kurt a quick goodbye and hanging up. He rubbed his hand across his forehead as he tried to calm the slight panic in his gut. His hair was still a little moist from the showers, so he ran his hand through the curls in an attempt to wrangle them sans hair gel, only to find David looking at him from across the parking lot. David pulled his eyes away quickly as he pretended to fumble in his pockets for his keys.

Blaine felt anger fill his chest again. Kurt he could forgive, but if David Karofsky thought he was going to intimidate him on or off the field he had another thing coming. He considered jumping out of his car to confront him, but by the time he’d made the decision David was already closing the door of his truck and starting it up.

Blaine pushed his face forward to make sure David got an eyeful of his resentful smile as he drove by to get out of the student lot. David turned his face away, shaking his head and he peeled out of the lot.

__________________________________

Blaine said a small, silent prayer before answering his cell. “Hey, Coop,”

“Do you know what football could do to your face?”

“You spoke to mom.” He said, laying his pencil next to the paragraph he’d just finished reading so he wouldn’t lose his place.

“She’s worried. You’ve got a very compact build. You could get hurt.”

“Oh, Kurt made sure that’s not going to happen. He called my guard to make sure he was going to keep an eye on me.”

“Mom said something about that. Isn’t this the same guy who tried to kill himself after your boyfriend rejected him?”

“That’s not why...” Blaine trailed off as a vision of himself being pummeled on the field while David turned a blind eye invaded his mind. He could see it clearly. A ref pulling a pile of guys off his broken body, his mother’s cries from the stands, his funeral with Kurt weeping softly casket-side as David wrapped a consoling arm around his waist. He snapped himself out his dreary fantasy, “That was not why he tried to kill himself and Kurt said that he was just confused about his feelings and that they’re just friends...” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than Cooper.

“Maybe or maybe he’s just settling for friendship until some guy breaks your face.”

“You know a supportive brother wouldn’t say things like that.”

“I’m just saying you need to watch yourself and...”

“Be careful, I know that’s what everyone says. You know, believe it or not I can handle myself.”

“Of course you can,” Cooper barely hid the doubt in his voice.

“Yeah, thanks, Coop. Can we change the subject now? I’ve been on the team for like 6 hours and I feel like I’ve been talking about it for 6 months. How’d your audition go?” He only half-listened as Coop recounted every word of his conversation with the producer of some new half-hour comedy show that was looking for a ‘cute, not-too-bright guy’ for a three episode arc. 

As he listened, he came to a decision, he wasn’t going to let anyone bully him into or out of doing this. He wanted to do it and would. That would show his family ...and Kurt ...and Karofsky that you couldn’t bully Blaine Anderson with fear or love. 

______________________________

David Karofsky was a total and complete asshole. He’d already known it, but when Sam had confirmed that David had threatened the rest of the team into taking it easy on him in practice, it had cemented his first impression thoroughly.

“What the fuck was that Karofsky?” He said pushing his way out of the locker room right behind David as he left for the parking lot. 

He felt his brow draw together at David’s muttered, “Deja vu man,” as he continued to walk away.

He ran several quick steps to overtake David and plant himself in his path. “I know that you called Kurt and that he called you and I’m going to tell you what I told him.” He was pointing his finger aggressively at David’s chest as he spoke, causing David’s nostrils to flare, “I can take care of myself. I don’t need you or anyone else to watch out for me!”

David stepped around him dismissively, “You’ve never played football Anderson. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Well, I’m playing now and if you think asking the guys to take it easy on me is doing me any favors you’re wrong.” He had to walk quickly to keep pace with David, “But maybe that’s what you want. For me get my ass handed to me so I’ll quit.”

David stopped causing him to nearly run into his back, “You know what Anderson? Screw you! I’m trying to keep you from getting that pretty face all smashed up, so think whatever you want. I’ll make sure you’re ready when the time comes.”

“You,” he all but laughed, “You’re going to teach me to play football.” David shook his head crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I don’t know about teaching you to actually play the game, but at least how to not get hurt and hopefully not fuck up too much, so the rest of us actually have a chance at a championship this year.”

“And you think the Coach is going to be alright with that!”

David had the nerve to smirk at him, “I just talked to her about it a few minutes ago. Get ready Anderson we’re going to be ball-buddies.”

__________________________________

“Kurt? Kurt, did you hear me?”

“Yes, I did. I think. Did you say Ball-buddies?”

“Yeah, I’m going to practice with everyone else and do extra workouts with David to gain some muscle and so he can teach me the finer points of the game. Which its football, does it even have finer points?”

Kurt chuckled lightly, “Um, you’d have to ask Finn about that. I spent more time teaching than learning when I played.”

“He said the schedule isn’t going to interfere with Glee, so that should be fine and with it being my Senior year most of my classes are just filler...”

“Don’t let your grades slip!” Kurt admonished, “You’ll never get into NYADA if you’re not up to snuff. Ohh, I bet they’d love to have a singing, dancing football player. It’d be like Dancing with the Stars and American Idol had a love child.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He said reluctantly. ”But I don’t want to get in just because of some gimmick. I want to get in for my talent.”

“Blaine, you have nothing to worry about. You’ll get in.” Kurt’s assurances warmed him, but he was still worried. Why did everything have to change again? 

“Well, if I’m going to keep my grades up I need to get back to work. David said we’d start after school tomorrow and we have mash-ups due for Glee.”

“Oh okay, I miss you, goodnight sweetie,” Kurt’s sad voice sent a pang through his chest. “We’ll skype in the morning?”

“Of course, umm do you think we could uh, hook up a little earlier than usual so we can uh...”

“Have skype sex?”

Blaine looked around his room, just to make sure his mom hadn’t snuck in on him, “Yes, for skype sex.”

“Well, I’ll ring you at 6 then, wearing nothing but a smile.”

“Dude, I can hear you and you’d better be talking about meeting him in your room!” Finn’s disgusted voice carried through the phone.

“Of course I will Finn! And stop eavesdropping! And do you hear me complaining when Rachel stays over! I know what it means when you turn up the music in your room!” 

He had pulled the phone away from his ear to allow Kurt to vent without damaging his eardrum. “Sorry about that. I’m back.”

“S’okay. I’ll see you in the morning, then ...love you.”

“You, too, bye.”

______________________________________________

“Come on, Anderson I know you can move quicker than that. Remember, I’ve seen you dance twinkle toes.”

“I can, but I’m exhausted.” He replied heatedly, picking himself up off the field. “We had a two hour practice today after I spent an hour dancing and singing in Glee. Can’t we just call it a night?”

Karofsky shook his head, “You’ve only been practicing for a week and we have our first game in two. We’ve still got some light. I say we keep going.”

“Kar...David, please. I didn’t get enough sleep...”

“Hey, I told you eight a night and you better be eating those extra calories or you’ll never make it.” 

“I’m trying, but between homework and the only time Kurt can skype is in the morning...” He faltered when he noticed a change in David’s body language. He and David had been doing a good job of avoiding the subject of Kurt during their practice sessions, but he could tell that Kurt’s name threw him for some reason.

David took a deep breath in before gritting out, “Your social life is not my problem. I’m trying to make you into a football player.”

He had always considered himself a kind person, but Karofsky had been on his back all week, “Well, maybe if you had a social life you wouldn’t be so obsessed with a game. Isn’t this the same closet you’ve always hid in?”

David’s eyes cleared suddenly as his face fell. He had the distinct impression that was getting a glimpse of something that only Kurt had seen. “I’m not doing that! The team’s important to me and the only reason I’m....” He stopped abruptly like he had said too much.

“The only reason what?” He challenged, pretty sure he knew the answer.

“I like football and playing and I’m pretty good at it, which you’d notice if you spent less time worrying about how your hair looks in practice, but the only reason I’m helping you is because Kurt asked me too.” Blaine had expected that if they ever touched on the subject of David’s feelings for Kurt that he would have gone instantly into jealous boyfriend mode, but the way David’s voice grew thick with emotion as he spoke only provoked empathy in him.

He missed Kurt too but at least he had the comfort of knowing that Kurt loved him back.

David turned walking quickly back toward the locker room hunching his shoulders in as he moved. “David, wait!”

“Fuck off, Anderson! I’m done. Get Sam to help you!”

“Will you wait a Goddamn second and let me catch up. My legs are killing me!” David halted on the field turning on him. He was wearing his practice sweats, but his shoulders were so broad that Blaine had the impression that the sun being blocked out for a moment. “What?” David said, struggling to keep his voice even.

Blaine lifted his arms in a helpless gesture, “Look, I know that...that you have feelings for Kurt,” David pinched his lips together into a hard line, “and I understand, believe me, I do. I miss him, so much...” He halted when he saw a pained look cross David’s face. “I don’t think we have to be enemies here. Can’t we just start over and try being teammates, maybe even friends?” He lifted his brow in a hopeful manner. 

David bit his tongue between his teeth shaking his head, “You’ll still need to run drills and stay up with your rest, so I’m not seeing how being friends is going to help.”

Blaine felt his shoulders drop, “I know, but maybe if you at least try to like me a little bit, you won’t feel compelled to ride me so hard. And, wow! I’m really glad no one else heard me say that.” His face was already hot and sweaty, but he felt the blood rise in his cheeks anyway.

David had been sweating too, but he’d had time to cool down from the team practice so the blush creeping up his neck was somewhat more noticeable.

“Yeah, don’t say that in front of the rest of the team or we’ll never live it down.” David mumbled as his hands sought the pockets of his sweats.

“No, we wouldn’t,” He said catching David’s eye and giving him his best half-smile. 

“Fine,” David rolled his eyes at him, “Let’s hit the showers and call it a night, but you better get your sleep in since we’re leaving early.”

Blaine gave him a salute, “Yes, Coach,” Causing David to preen slightly. “No one ever called me that before. I kind of like it.” He said, turning and lifting a shoulder toward the locker room to beckon Blaine to follow him. “Coach Karofsky, does have a ring to it.” Blaine said as he hobbled slightly to keep up with David’s pace. 

David did a double-take at his fumbling steps, slowing and awkwardly offering his elbow. “You might want to do a hot bath to loosen those muscles or you won’t be able to move in the morning too.” He offered as he looked him up and down.

Blaine felt a little spot of warmth in his chest, from the genuine concern that David seemed to be showing him, “Whatever you say, Coach Karofsky,” He chirped as they made their way slowly to the locker room.

__________________________________________________

“I think you’re misinterpreting.” Kurt said shyly, turning his face down as he spoke.

“He didn’t deny it. Besides, it seemed to help to get it all out in the open like that, so...”  
Blaine felt his brow draw up as Kurt continued to blush.

“He’s never said anything to you... not since?”

“No,” Kurt said, cutting him, “I would have told you.”

Blaine drew his shoulders back, “I know, but just because he doesn’t say it, doesn’t mean that his feelings for you have changed.”

Kurt looked torn, “If you’d rather we didn’t speak anymore…,”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I’m saying.” He said hurriedly, “I don’t want you to cut him off, Kurt. I think you’re right, he needs friends and in some strange way the fact that we both care about you seems to be helping instead of hurting.”

Kurt’s face brightened, “Oh, good, I’m glad. I know we don’t talk a lot about David, but I’ve come to care about him and I hate the thought that you two wouldn’t get along because of some ancient crush.” Blaine was trying to decide if Kurt was just deluding himself about the depth of David’s feelings for him or if David was just that good at keeping them in check when they were together.

“No, worries. Things are going great.”

________________________________________

“Could this get any worse?” Sam moaned as he pulled at his helmet. The rest of the team following him forlornly into the locker room.

“Hey, that’s not the kind of language I want from my Quarterback!” Beiste snapped as she charged into the room. “Gather round, grab your nuts and man up out there. Karofsky, what the hell were you doing out there? Trying to play every position?”

“Coach!” He started to argue some point, only to be out-shouted as she moved on to the two other guys that had flubbed plays in the first half. Blaine shot him a consoling look. David wouldn’t have had to play so hard if Donaldson hadn’t been slacking the whole game.

Donaldson was getting his now, but David’s jaw was set as he watched him. His eyes blazing with an anger Blaine hadn’t seen in a long time.

He tried to be discreet as he sidled closer to him, “What’s wrong?”

David’s face was stone when he turned to him, softening only slightly when their eyes met. David leaned into him, “He did that on purpose,” He hissed, the feel of David’s breath as much as his words, making the hair at the nape of his neck stand on end.

Blaine went over the play mentally, Donaldson was supposed to be blocking for him, but when Blaine went to make his kick a guy the size of a bus started for him. David had dove for the guys feet, forcing him down and allowing him to try for the kick, but by that time the buzzer was already going off signaling the end of the half.

His eyes moved to Donaldson who was looking down at his shoes as the Coach berated him. He looked up to find the Coach giving him a once-over, the look in her eyes verifying for him that David’s accusation was true.

He was moving toward Donaldson before he gave it any conscious thought. Pulling his elbow from David’s grasping hand as he moved, “You got a problem with me Donaldson!” He yelled as a couple of other players and the Coach stepped between them. 

“Hey, I’m the one in charge here,” Beiste said putting a hand on his chest, “I take care of discipline issues, not you. Now sit!” She said pointing to the bench he’d just stepped over as David pulled him back.

“Yeah, go cry on your girlfriend’s shoulder, Anderson!” Donaldson shouted. David’s hands went from pulling him back to pushing him out of the way as he launched himself at Donaldson. There were still enough players between them to keep them apart as Blaine tried to grab David’s shoulder. He could fight his own damn battles. Beiste’s voice rose above the melee, “That’s it! Donaldson your out!”

“What?” He screamed, as a couple of his friends tried to keep him calm. 

“You heard me. You’re off the team. Drop your gear and get out!”

_______________________________________

“So, that was an experience?” Blaine said as David threw the last of the gear into the supply locker. Everyone else was already in the showers, but Beiste had assigned them extra clean up duty after the game for extra-bating the Donaldson issue. His attempt to correct her grammar mistake earning him a particularly nasty glare.

“Yeah,” David replied, still sounding angry.

“You’re not blaming me for this are you?”

David’s face screwed up in confusion, “What? No! I’m just pissed. I knew shit like this was liable to go down. I just thought I’d only have myself to look out for.”

Rage filled his chest, “I told you I don’t need you to rescue me. I can take care of myself.”

David stepped toward him aggressively, “I saved your ass out there, Anderson. That guy woulda took your head off.”

He stepped just as aggressively into David’s face. It was one of the few times he wished he was a little taller. “Or I could have put some that extra training to use and side-stepped him at the last second.”

David huffed, “You really expect me to believe that you were planning a move around that guy.”

Blaine deflated slightly, “I thought about after he went down, but my instincts aren’t as sharp as yours yet, I guess.”

David relaxed his stance somewhat at his capitulation, “We’ll work harder. I’ll try a few more offensive moves on you to get your body used to moving without having to think so much about it.”

“Just like dance?” He offered looking up into David’s eyes. They were still standing in each other’s space. Their chest only inches apart. David smelled like sweat and grass. The scent sending an unexpected jolt of desire through his stomach. The shock of having such a strong reaction to David caused him to all but leap back and away from the man. David turned quickly, fumbling with a set of shoulder pads before shutting the locker. “I’m going to grab a shower,” He said sounding as shell-shocked as Blaine felt.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a sec,” He said, adding quickly, “to take my shower, in the room, the shower room.” 

David didn’t answer him as he walked out of the supply room as quickly as his feet could carry him.  
________________________________________________

“You could use practice to blow off some that steam, ya' know. Believe it or not it works.” David said quietly, as he took a seat on the bench lining the wall of the workout room. It was the most Blaine had heard from him since their ‘moment of... well whatever the hell that was on Saturday. He punched the bag ferociously in several quick moves wishing that the awkwardness between them would dissipate. They’d been getting along so well before his hormones had screwed everything up. “I thought I was supposed to stay clear-headed on the field. Isn’t that the smart way to play?”

David leaned forward dropping his elbows to rest on his knees, “Yeah, it is. Look, I heard that Donaldson got in your face today so if you want to quit...”

Blaine hit the bag hard enough to send it flying several feet back. “I’m not quitting! If he or you or anyone thinks that they can bully me into giving up...”

“Me? I’ve been doing everything I can to give you a hand!”

“Except the part where you don’t talk to me for the last three days and purposefully avoid me.” He sounded whiny and hated it.

David looked away guiltily, “I had some stuff to do after practice last night, alright? Jesus, there’s no reason to get your panties in a bunch.” Blaine tore at the lace of his glove with his teeth. “You do not want to make jokes about my -our sexuality right now.” He took several quick steps toward David, before reconsidering and turning his back. The last thing he needed was a replay of their last encounter.

“Chill, dude. I say that to not-gay guys all the time. I’m not talking about...,” Blaine heard David’s swallow as his voice dropped, “sex.”

He busied himself with his other glove after dropping the first in his duffle. “You coming to practice or not?” David sounded tense “I told Coach you were talkin’ to Figgins and that was why you hadn’t shown up yet. If I go back without you, she’ll ream my ass.”

He and his mother had spoken to the Principal after Donaldson got in his face after lunch, so it wasn’t a totally unbelievable lie. “Yes, I’m coming to practice.” He said, turning when David’s silence had become deafening. He was looking at the floor. He could tell that David was struggling with something. He wanted to step forward, tell him that whatever weirdness between them was his fault. That he missed Kurt and missed sex and that David was the only guy that he spent any time with who was gay and they had probably just got their wires crossed, but instead he coughed to clear his throat, smiling when David’s eyes rose to his and his expression brightened, “Well, hustle then, Anderson. We miss warm up and you won’t be able to walk in the morning.” He said as he stood, hesitating a moment when Blaine lifted a brow at the innuendo.

David’s face reddened even as he tried to play off his embarrassment by rolling his eyes, “Jeez, Anderson, you need to call Kurt when you get home and stay away from the other guys. You’re getting way too bawdy, Kurt’s going to nail me to the wall.” Blaine used a hand to cover the laugh he couldn’t quite keep in as David cursed vehemently at him.

____________________________________________

“Your truck in the shop?” Blaine slowed to a stop just a block from the school. He could have sworn that he’d seen it this morning. Not that he was looking for David’s truck, it was just a small parking lot and David’s truck was one of those big F-150’s and those things were hard to miss.

“Oh, hey, yeah, no.” David said as he bent slightly at the waist so he was at eye level with him. “My dad had to take it to pick up some new equipment in Fort Wayne and mom needed the car. I was just going to catch the bus.” David said throwing his chin down the street.

“Well, I can give you a ride. It’s getting dark and you had to stay late because of me anyway.”

David looked down at his feet before giving the bus sign a few yards away a considering look. “Yeah, I guess. But it’s on the other side of town.” 

“That’s not a problem, come on,” he said, tilting his head toward his passenger door. They’d had a few stilted interactions after the ‘incident’ as he now referred to it, but eventually had gotten back into the rhythm of practice and school and everything had gone back to normal.

Kurt had been beaming during their Skype this morning, talking about David’s praise of his improving skills. He had been glad to hear it, since David tended to keep his comments more instructive than critical, leaving him with the feeling that he was getting better, but no actual proof. Not that football was all he and David talked about. It was just the crux of most of their conversations and the place they both seemed the most comfortable.

He sat up a little straighter as David slide into the seat. “Just point me in the right direction,” He said as he revved the engine a little, the same way David did when he took off. Blaine couldn’t help but smile at David’s raised brows. “Just get us there is one piece, Anderson.” He said before pointing at the intersection, “Go to Main and turn left, follow it till you get to the turn-off for Lincoln.”

Blaine nodded as he put the car in gear and hit the steering controls to turn up the song playing through his iPod. David turned to him, his face screwed up in something close to disgust, “What the hell are you listening too?”

“David Bowie.” He answered a little insulted at the face David was making.

“What year were you born?” 

“What? I like a wide variety or music. You don’t like it?”

“Nah, it’s fine, I guess. You know my grandma loves Bowie.” David was biting the inside of his cheek as he turned his face to him, eyes going wide as he attempted an innocent look.

“Oh, screw you. You know I could always start up my Pink compilation or Kurt’s Gaga playlist.” He teased leaning toward David slightly.

“Oh, God, no.” David moaned, “It’s bad enough Kurt makes me listen to that stuff when I get depressed. I don’t wanna have to hear it when I’m happy.”

“Depressed?” Blaine chest felt like a block of ice suddenly.

“Don’t freak, Anderson. I’m not going to try and off myself again, I promised...” His words trailed off. He knew that David had probably promised a lot of people that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt himself ever again, but only one of those people would be someone that he would be hesitant to speak about in his presence.

“Kurt?” He prompted.

David nodded his head, “Yeah and my dad too.” He said a little defensively. He knew that David cared for Kurt deeply, had even professed to love him once, but he had never really had the thought hit so powerfully. David loved Kurt. Loved Kurt like he did, only he didn’t get to have him. 

“You choose,” He said pointing at the radio, “What kind of music does David Karofsky listen to?”

“Um...” David eyed him warily, “Uh, no that’s okay. It’s your car, driver get to choose the music.”

“Normally, I would agree, but just this one time I think we can make an exception. Pick something or are you too embarrassed?” He smiled wickedly, “What kind of music could David Karofsky like that he would be too embarrassed to have me know about? Uhm?” 

“You’re such a dick.” David grumbled going for the buttons of the radio. He tapped through most of the classic channels, stopping for a moment on an old Aerosmith song, but hitting the button again when he realized it was near the end. He finally hesitantly paused, pulling his hand away as Keith Urban sang about a love that would last forever. He glanced at David to give him an approving look, “Nice, Karofsky.”

“No comments about it being country?”

“No, course not. Who else do you like?”

“Uhm a few groups, Sugarland and Perry and, and I swear to God if you make fun of me for saying this I will be forced to point out that most of the songs I’ve ever heard you sing were written for girls,” He laughed at David’s embarrassed prattle, “but Carrie Underwood’s probably my favorite.”

Blaine froze dramatically, “I love Carrie Underwood! Why would I make fun of you for that?”

David shrugged, “I don’t know, most of the guys I know don’t even listen to country. Hell, Kurt doesn’t listen to country. At least I don’t think he does.”

“He’s not the biggest fan, but if you like her we should all go see her in concert sometime. She’s great live.”

“Actually, I’ve seen her before. We went a couple of years back when she was touring with Urban.”

“And she’s awesome right! We’re just going to have to convert Kurt. I mean her costume changes alone.”

“Yeah, he’d love the part where she’s belting at the top of her lungs in a full wedding dress.” David relaxed against the seat as he spoke. He hadn’t noticed the tension in David’s shoulders until he settled into the seat and the tension eased. 

Blaine nodded happily as he turned the wheel. “Though he’ll probably roll his eyes through the religious ones.”

“Yeah, maybe,” David said quietly. “You know I always thought Kurt liked more kinds of music than anyone I know, but you kind of take it to the next level of music nerd.”

“I’m an aficionado, not a nerd and your one to talk- football nerd.”

“I’m sorry, Anderson, but I think those two things are mutually exclusive or something.” 

“Oh, really Mr. Joe Namath this or something, something move from the 22nd Superbowl that. I mean what do you do? Go back and watch 20 year old football games?”

David shifted slightly, “Yeah sometimes or YouTube. If you’re going to do something you might as well do it right.”

“True,” He felt his bottom lip turn down and corrected it. “So, your dad got you into football?”

David shrugged, “Yeah, we always loved it and it’s always been something that I could do and love and not have to worry about.”

“Same with me, with music I mean. I know everyone likes music and listens, but it really means something to me and even if I never sing professionally I want to be involved in it somehow.” 

“I can see that,” David said, “I...uh don’t think Kurt’s like that though.” He seemed a little nervous, like maybe he felt like he shouldn’t be talking about Kurt.

“Yeah, I have to agree. He loves music, but I think what he really loves is performing, you know? Up in front of an audience all eyes on him.”

“Yeah,” David agreed, sounding pleased, “I think he’s always going to want to be like center stage somewhere.”

“Yeah,” He felt the shift in mood of the car as they quietly drove on for several moments before he added, “I really miss him.”

“Yeah,” David agreed, remaining silent until they approached the turn for his house.

“So, you wanna come in and grab a soda or something?” David offered uncertainly. His brow was all wrinkled up like he was unsure if it was okay to ask. Blaine could sympathize because he was unsure if it was okay to accept. If it had been Sam or any other friend he wouldn’t have even thought twice about the invite, but David was, well different, and that could be dangerous.

“Uh, sure. Your,” He swallowed, “parents aren’t home yet. I guess?”

David shook his head, “No, they were going to meet up for dinner so they could talk,” He hesitated, “they’re thinking about getting divorced, though I’m not supposed to know it.”

“Oh, Dave man that’s rough. Kurt said that your mom had some issues with you being gay. Is that...uh...”

“It was part of it at first, they fought about this plan my mom had to cure me and it’s all kinda gone downhill from there.”

“Do you think they’ll mind?” He lifted his eyes to the house. 

“My mom’s going to have to deal with the fact that I’m gay and that I’ll have guys around. Not that you’re like that kind of, you know, just as friend -like Kurt.”

“Yeah,” He felt some of his hesitance diminish, “I’d like to be friends, David.”

He felt his spirits lift, even as David shook his head at him, “Okay, Anderson, we can be friends. Though when you say it all happy and hopeful like that it makes you sound kinda pathetic.”

He glared at David icily as he put his car in park.  
_____________________________________________

Okay, so David’s parents had your average suburban home with a giant tv in the living room and family pictures on the wall, not that he’d expected it to look like some anti-technology religious compound or anything. It’s just when David had said his mom wanted to 'cure' him he got the impression that they were some sort of strict religious denomination or something. “So,” He began as he followed David to the kitchen, “you really think you’re parents are going to break-up. I mean all those pictures in the hallway. It looked like they’ve been together since high school.”

David wrinkled his nose as he opened the refrigerator to peer inside, “I don’t know. I mean they’re always fighting, but trying to whisper when they do it. Like just because they’re not shouting I don’t know what’s going on and I think...I think that’s why dad needed the truck. He said he was going to pick up something, but I think he’s just moving some stuff.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he just gave David his most sympathetic face. “Let’s not talk about it anymore, okay. It’s fucking depressing.” David said tossing a soda at him without warning. He smiled when he actually caught the bottle without flinching or having to think first.  
David smirked at him, “Got the moves now, Anderson.” He said as he moved toward the iPod dock and pressed the button. David went to change the station when Alison Krause’s sweet voice sang out. “No, don’t. I love her.” David just nodded as he opened his bottle. Blaine followed suit, realizing too late that his bottle had not had time to settle from David’s toss.

“Shit!” He tried to twist the cap back on, but it was too late and now David ‘fucking’ Karofsky was laughing his ass off at him. “Real smooth there, Anderson.”

Blaine gave him the finger as he looked around for paper towels to clean the mess from the floor. “Here,” David said tearing a handful of paper towels from the hanger under the cabinet. He crouched down to blot at the mess, though the paper towels weren’t doing a lot to help. “I’d better get a towel. We buy the cheapies that don’t do shit.”

He had just turned the wet, sticky mess over to try and soak up some more when David crouched next to him with the towel. He had turned on every light in the house as they came in, but the light was partially blocked by their position, making their closeness feel a little overwhelming suddenly.

David blotted at the soda absently, looking at him when he noticed that his hand had stopped moving. He shook his head. He really needed to get over this stupid reaction to be close to David’s body. They practiced almost every day and he never got this distracted on the field. “You did that on purpose,” He argued, petulantly as he brought himself out of his fugue before David could pick up on the reason for his discomfort.

“You’re such a whiner off the field,” He complained in enough of a joking manner that Blaine simply rolled his eyes in response.

David’s cell ringing caused him to pull out of his crouch. He threw the soaked towel at the sink as he dug for his phone. “Um, it’s Kurt.” He said, his tone uncertain.

Blaine felt a little uncertain himself as he spoke, “Oh, great!” He said sounding way too enthusiastic for a guy getting caught, well, doing absolutely nothing wrong.

David flipped the phone open, chirping, “Hey, Kurt!”

Blaine heard a laughing Kurt through the line as he responded, “Hey there, yourself.”

David smiled broadly at the sound before schooling his face, “Blaine’s here. He gave me a ride home from practice.”

He felt his heart melt at the sincere tenor of Kurt’s voice through the phone, though he couldn’t make out the words. “Yeah, I’m glad I didn’t have to spend an hour on the bus either. Do you want to talk to him?” He asked, his eyes going to Blaine’s as they relaxed into the comfort of listening to a happy Kurt. 

They both answered “Yes,” so David handed him his phone, taking the sopping mess from his other hand as he did so. “Hey Kurt, where you going to keep David company on his bus ride home?”

“I told him I would try to check in and when you weren’t online I figured you’d gone to dinner with your parents.”

“Nah, just found David wondering the streets,” David poked his tongue out at him, causing him to laugh as he spoke, “tried to be nice to guy and give him a ride and all I get is complaints about my musical choices and an exploding soda.”

“That wasn’t my fault,” David argued, “and I didn’t say it sucked. I just said you listened to the same music my Grandma did when she was smoking pot back in the 60’s.”

“Bowie was the 70’s!”

“Yeah, that’s way less sucky.”

“Hey, Kurt? You know who David would love to for us to see in concert?” Blaine was glad that he was small and fast as David lurched for him. “He really loves that song, ‘Jesus Take the Wheel.’ Kurt was laughing at him on the other end of the phone, “What are you doing to David?” 

David snatched the phone from him before he could answer, “I do not.” He protested as he brought the phone to his ear and pushed playfully at Blaine’s shoulder causing the soda David had set on the counter when he had went to help Blaine to spill over. “The carpet -shit!” 

“Shit!” Blaine agreed, as he went for the towel in the sink. He heard David make a quick good-bye to an obviously confused Kurt as they tried to get the soda up before it soaked into the dining room carpet.

____________________________

“I’m glad you and David are becoming friends,” Kurt’s lackadaisical voice cut through the sex-addled cobwebs in his mind. 

“Uhm?”

“You and David. It makes me glad to know that my two boys are getting along so well.” 

“Your boys? Really?”

“Oh, shut up. You know what I mean!”

“I do. I think.” And he did. He and David had cleaned up the mess on the floor, hung out for a few minutes and parted joking about music and punishing practices. He tried not to think about the fact that he had come home, crawled in bed and called Kurt for what had turned out to be a completely amazing phone sex session. After which, his boyfriend brought up another guy. He felt a spike of jealousy in his chest, quelling it quickly when he reasoned that he was probably just reading his own bad behavior into Kurt’s innocent comment.

“Well, you gonna come watch your boys play before the wedding next month or not?”

“You better believe I am.” Kurt said, sounding totally recovered already. “I can’t wait to see you play and David’s been so much happier since he’s gotten back out on the field. I think it gives him purpose.”

This was good, he decided. They were all becoming friends and comfortable around each other and it convinced him that all his worrying about his slight attraction to David and David’s obvious feelings for Kurt were just his own insecurities and doubts about being separated from Kurt rearing their ugly heads. This is going to work out great, he decided as he listened to Kurt slip into a story about this crazy professor he adored and allowed himself to be carried away on his wave of serene post-orgasm happiness.

__________________________________

“God! You Suck!” David said throwing his controller on the bed behind them while Blaine’s character took a moment to laugh in righteous victory on the console.

He opened his mouth to say something along the lines of you better believe I do, but thought better of it and smiled silently at David’s disgusted huffing. “Rematch?” David challenged, grabbing his controller over Blaine’s shoulder. He was getting ready to agree when the lyrics of a 50 Cent’s Disco Inferno started to come from his pocket. David’s eyes widened innocently, so Blaine shot him a glare as he answered with a tentative, “Hello?”

“Hi!” Kurt’s bright voice chirped. Oh, he would get David for this. “Kurt! Hey you ready for our Skype?” He said as he walked to his laptop. He noticed David’s relaxed position disappear as he stiffened and stood. He looked guilty, but since there was nothing to feel guilty about, “Dave’s here, pouting.”

“Pouting? Is something wrong?” Kurt’s voice grew instantly concerned. “Only if you call him acting like a 2-year old because I handed him ass via Xbox wrong?” He had been opening his browser as he spoke, so he’d had to use his shoulder to hold the phone against his ear, but he heard Kurt’s relieved sigh nonetheless. It caused another one of those confusing spikes of jealously followed by a moment of confusion as he tried to discern who or what exactly was making him jealous. 

David had been silently gathering his backpack and jacket as he and Kurt spoke. “Hey, uh, you wanna stay and say hi to Kurt?”

David looked uncertain, “Yeah, that’d be cool.” He continued signing in, “I’m gonna see you in a sec, okay?” He said to Kurt hanging up the phone, so they could talk online instead.

Kurt came into focus on the screen almost as soon as Blaine had flipped the phone shut. He felt his smile expand as his chest filled with love. “Hi, again.” They said at the same time, causing David to huff.

“David?” Kurt said hopefully, Blaine moved his desk chair out of the way and waved David over. It was happening again -that stab of jealousy, only this time it because of the way David’s face brightened when he looked at Kurt. “Hey,” His voice was a little thready, so he cleared it, looking at Blaine briefly, before schooling his face, “New York looks like it’s agreeing with you.”

Kurt preened, causing Blaine to laugh, “It does.” Kurt sang brightly. “And you need to get a laptop so you can watch the transformation from innocent Lima...Liman...Limamite? to jaded New Yorker.”

“Uh! That’s never gonna happen. My mom’s outlawed computers in our rooms and threw away the webcam when our preacher told her I was probably letting child molesters look at my...” David’s face reddened, “private parts.”

He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing, but Kurt had no such compunction. “You know you can say the word penis, David.”

“I know!” David whined, “Those were her words, not mine.”

Kurt’s face grew sympathetic, “So are things better since she started therapy.”

David shrugged his shoulders lightly, “She doesn’t talk about it much, but my guy says that she has to go at her own speed or something.”

Kurt leaned toward the cam almost like he wanted to reach out to comfort David before reeling himself back in. The spike grew into a roiling in his stomach. David broke the silence, “Hey, I should get outta here. Let you guys...um...”

Kurt plastered a smile on his face, “Sure, bye David. It was good to ‘see’ you.”

“You, too.” He replied with a quick nod as he pulled out of the camera’s range. He took his backpack from the floor and flung it over his shoulder, “Later, Kurt. Night Blaine,” He said, not really looking at him as he spoke. “Good-Bye,” He said to David’s retreating form as he slide out the door.

His eyes stayed where David had been for too long, causing Kurt to clear his throat. Kurt’s face was oddly thoughtful as their eyes met. “I’m glad you’re his friend. He really needs one.”

“It’s good thing he’s got too, then.” He said, smiling at the small smile that replaced the cloudy look in Kurt’s eyes.

“Yes, it is.” Kurt’s smile turned to its full wattage as he set in to share his newest tale from the City. 

__________________________________

He finished the song with his eyes closed, a habit that he hated and on occasion and was castigated for during Glee Club. A clap and wolf-whistle brought him out of his internal musings. 

David was standing at the back of the auditorium giving him the classic slow-clap as he walked toward the stage, “You singing that for the wedding next week?”

“Yeah, what do you think?” He tried not to let the fact that David’s praise was causing his chest to swell show.

“Awesome, man. They’ll love it. You’re singing one with the whole club too, right?”

“Everyone who graduated last year and was able to make it back is supposed to join in.” He said as he busied himself by breaking down the sound equipment he had been using. 

“Kurt told me. I can’t wait to see him.” He said looking away and licking his bottom lip. Blaine couldn’t wait either. Ten weeks of Skype sex and phone calls had just kept the edge off his loneliness and he could tell that Kurt felt the same.

They spoke every day at least twice, texting and chatting in between calls. He figured Kurt’s phone got quite the workout between him and David. He could always tell when Kurt texted David because they were the only ones that ever got a smile. “Me, either. He’s excited to get to see us play too. It’ll be a busy weekend. Are you coming to the wedding?”

David stuffed his hands in his pockets, “Probably not, but maybe?” He could tell David was torn. “You know Mr. Shue and Ms. Pillsbury wouldn’t mind if you just wanted to come to the reception and watch us sing.” A smile tugged at the corner of David’s mouth. “So you’re on his invite committee?”

Blaine felt his mouth hanging open so he pursed his lips together, “Well, I don’t think they would mind.” He offered. “Let’s get to practice.” David said, picking up his gym duffel in one hand. That was a relief, since he’d had to bring a garment bag for a dress rehearsal today and a backpack for school. “You know I went to Colorado for a week and managed to pack only one bag.” David teased as they slogged up the auditorium steps.

"Asshole," Blaine said shaking his head.

_________________________________

“Coach!” He screamed as Beiste pushed him back toward the field. “Get back out there, Anderson! He’ll be more pissed if we lose!”

His eyes scanned the audience for Kurt, finding him and Finn as they pushed their way through the spectators crowding the steps of the bleachers. Most of the crowd was turning their attention back to the field as Masters, the assistant coach, and David’s dad helped him off the field.

He wanted to shout at them, tell them to have an EMT check him or take him to the hospital, but no one would be able to hear him over the crowd. Maybe coach would listen to him, if, but no, she had already pushed him out on the field as the ref’s and the rest of the team went into formation. But none of them had been there right after David’s hit or seen his open eyes staring blankly, before coming into focus as he curled in on himself and his face screwed up in pain.

Kurt’s eyes came to his as the crowd blocked their progress to David. He tried to communicate his concern and worry even as they both struggled with their positions in the crowd. Kurt looked around, pushing at Finn’s shoulder as he spoke. Blaine watched as Finn, clamored over the bleacher railing, dropping a few feet and disappearing into the tunnel that led to the locker room.

He felt relief instantly. Finn had been a player and had played with David. He would keep an eye on him and make sure he was taken care of. He turned his worried eyes to Kurt, who nodded at him in answer. He was concerned to, but he could tell that Kurt felt relieved that someone he trusted was checking on David.

He steeled himself, nodded at Kurt and pulled his helmet on has he ran to his position. If these bastards thought they were going to blindside David like that and not have their asses handed to them, the team would show them different.

______________________________________

Everyone else was shouting and throwing their hands in the air as the buzzer went off. They’d won, but he still hadn’t seen or heard anything about David, so he took the opportunity to slip off the field and run back to the locker room. He was running against the crowd, but able to make some headway as people parted to pat his shoulder and allow him to pass.

When he finally made it past the crowd and into the refuge of the locker room he found Finn and Mr. Karofsky walking out of the PT room. Mr. Karofsky patted Finn on the shoulder as they walked. He looked worried, but Finn seemed fine, so maybe David was okay and he had nothing to worry about. “How is he?” He gasped, out of breath from his exertions on the field.

“Oh, Blaine,” David’s father smiled fondly at him. “We think it’s just a dislocation, but I’m going to take him to the ER to get an x-ray just to be safe.” He was walking as he spoke.

“I’ll let Kurt know,” Finn volunteered, giving him a collegiate pat as he turned from walking to jogging and passed him.

“Is he in pain?”

“A little. I’m going to get the truck, see if we can’t beat the crowd.” He was almost to the doors, so he had to turn as he spoke, “Keep him company for a few. Masters went to tell the Coach and to get some paperwork together.”

“Sure,” He said to a suddenly empty room. A groan reverberated through the room, bringing him back to his original goal. “David?” He rushed toward the PT room as he called David’s name.

“Yeah?” Came back the strained answer as he cleared the open door into the PT room to find David bringing himself into a sitting position on the massage table. “You probably shouldn’t move without help.” He berated as he tossed his helmet aside to give David a hand.

He used one hand on David’s back and one on his chest to help him come into a sitting position. “Yeah, probably, but I wanted to see if the game was over yet.”

“It’s over. We won.” He said as his eyes travelled to the tape around David’s chest and shoulder. “You dad said x-rays.”

“Yeah, but I think it was just dislocated. My dad, coach and Hudson got it back in place though.”

He knew his mouth had to be hanging open as his eyes went wide, “Are you telling me that people with no medical background jammed your shoulder back into place in a high school locker room.”

David was still breathing hard, but managed a huff, “Trust me, even though it hurt like a bitch it felt way better when it was back in.”

His hand was still on David’s chest, wet from the sweat soaking the thick hair on his chest. He scratched his fingers through the thick hair causing David’s breath to hitch and sending a jolt down Blaine's spine. Their eyes met as their breathing sped up. He brought the hand from David’s chest up to cup his jaw, caressing his cheek lightly.

They stilled, hand in hand, eye to eye as they moved closer and closer. Holy shit what was he doing? “I’m in love with Kurt.” David’s voice was torn and confused and everything he was feeling, “I am too.” He replied, desperately.

“I’m glad to hear to it.” A soft voice said, drawing David’s eyes from his. He moved his hand from David’s cheek like it was on fire and turned around to just to make sure he wasn’t having some sort of guilt-induced auditory hallucination.

Kurt was looking at the floor, his brow drawn together as he used one hand to steady himself against the doorway. The moment froze as they sat is stunned horror until Kurt turned suddenly and left. He could hear Kurt’s shoes as they echoed through the door and away from them. David pushed at his shoulder, with an urgent sounding, “Go!” spurring him into action. “Kurt, wait!” He said as he began to chase after him. 

This was all a stupid mistake and nothing had happened or was going to happen. He’d just have to explain it to Kurt was all. He reached Kurt just as he was about to push open the locker room door. “Kurt, listen!”

“Listen!” Kurt turned to face him. He had those splotches of red on his cheeks and forehead he got when he was upset. “What could you possibly have to say to me that I would want to hear?”

“Its...that wasn’t...” Okay so lying to himself had been way easier than lying to Kurt’s heartbroken face, “I...uh...”

Kurt shook his head as he spun around, “After everything we’ve been through...you and David? You’ve been cheating on me!”

He was shaking his head in denial as he attempted to approach Kurt holding his hands like he was trying to calm a startled animal. 

“He hasn’t done anything,” David’s somber voice said from the door of the PT room. He was leaning against the door, in obvious pain.

Kurt looked up at the ceiling at David’s words, “You want to know the worse part, I could see it, but I convinced myself it was my own jealousy and worry about us being apart so long, I kept telling myself,” Kurt’s eyes went to David’s, “that Blaine would never do that to me! That you were my friend!”

“I am, Kurt,” David took a few faltering steps. Blaine watched as Kurt’s anger faded somewhat as he gave David a worried look, “You should lie back down until your dad gets back,” He said taking a step towards David and stopping himself. He wrapped an arm around his stomach and turned his attention back to Blaine. 

He felt his own jaw working as he tried to think of an explanation, “I was just worried and glad he was alright.”

“So you wanted to kiss it all better?” Kurt’s voice sounded bitter and mocking.

“No! That is not...” And what could he say, he’d been considering it, wondering what it might feel like if, “that would not happen. You heard us, God Kurt I’m in love with you and,” He turned his eyes to David, who was watching him with a pleading look on his face, “David is too. I know what that probably looked like, but nothing was going to happen.” He swallowed certain that things wouldn’t have gone any further.

“Do you really expect me to believe that?” Kurt’s asked then clenched his jaw tightly as tears started to stream down his face.

David’s pained, “Kurt,” was drowned out by the creaky hinge of the locker room door opening. Kurt saw his chance and took it, bolting pass a very confused Mr. Karofsky as he came through the doorway.

“Was that Kurt? David what are you doing up?” He said coming to his son, who was attempting to chase after Kurt. Blaine watched as David half-collapsed into his father’s arms. He rushed forward to help, putting an arm around David’s waist as his father attempted to hold David up without putting any pressure on his injured shoulder. “Blaine help me get him out to the truck will you?” Mr. Karofsky asked slightly out of breath and obviously stressed.

Okay this he could help with. An upset Kurt would need a few minutes. “Sure,” He said as they each hooked an arm around David’s waist. His breathing was harsh and noisy and he could feel the tension in David’s muscles as they started for the door.

He could hear voices echoing down the hallway as their celebrating teammates whooped and yelled in victory, “Let’s get out of here.” David said, finally seeming to focus on something besides the huge mistake they had just made. He felt an ache in his heart for David right alongside the one he was feeling for himself, but it was too confusing to feel both things at once so he just swallowed it down and moved with David and his father out of the locker room.

______________________________

It had taken more than one pained wince to get David settled into the cab of his truck. “Dad,” David said as his father pulled the seat belt carefully around David’s shoulder, “let me talk to Blaine a sec, will ya?”

“What? David?” His father said as his son’s eyes pleaded silently. Mr. Karofsky deflated under the weight of David’s stare and stepped away, promising, “Two minutes and we’re going.”

David nodded as his dad moved away and around the truck to give them some privacy, “You need to go find, Kurt.” He said distantly as he looked down at his lap, “Tell him whatever you need to, to make it right.”

“What? No,” He said stepping into the open door of the truck. David’s face came to his surprise in his features, “I’m going to give Kurt some time to cool down and I will talk to him, but I’m not going to blame you -this was my fault.” David was shaking his head in disbelief, “and I’m sorry I should have...” He felt his face grow hot, “I’ve been feeling things for you David and I thought I could control them and I should have told you. I’m so sorry I caught you off guard in there.”

“Wait, what did you just say?” David was trying to turn in the seat, but between his injury and the seatbelt he wasn’t making much progress. Blaine stepped closer to keep him from attempting to move any further. “I said that I’ve been having feelings for you David and I should have told you and Kurt and quit the team.” 

David’s shook his head almost like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “Were you really going to kiss me in there?” 

Blaine huffed out a quick painful laugh, “I don’t know, maybe?”

David’s face was so honestly astonished looking that he didn’t even think as he leaned in and pressed his lips to David’s. They were dry and cold and not moving and could he have made this day any worse? He began to pull away in a panic when David reached out for him with his working hand, tangling it in the hair at the nape of his neck and pulling him back in for another kiss. 

He felt David’s lips warming under his as they kissed and wow did that feel good. He began to melt into the David’s lips and arms until Mr. Karofsky’s quite cough caused them to pull their lips apart as they stared, in shock, at one another. David’s fingers were massaging the back of his neck as he gave him a shy half-smile and said, “I guess we need to get going?” David glanced at his father quickly and back, “I’ll call you tomorrow, Okay?”

“Yeah,” He replied, “we need to talk.”

“Yeah?” David said like he’d just made the understatement of the century.

“Ready, son?” Mr. Karofsky’s quiet voice filtered from the other side of David’s truck. Blaine meet his worried gaze, giving him what he hoped was a reassuring nod as he backed out of the car and slammed the door shut. David gave him a nod as he father got in the vehicle. He threw up a hand as David’s father started up the truck and pulled away, keeping the hand in the air until David’s truck disappeared out of the lot.

What the hell was he going to do now?

___________________________________________________________

Kurt had not answered his phone or texts and had been doing a stellar job of avoiding him before and during the wedding. If he didn’t get his chance to talk with him before the end of the reception, he’d likely lose any chance of having Kurt talk to him ever again.

Not that he had any better idea of what to do today then he did yesterday. David, at least, had texted to let him know that he the x-rays had all been clear and that he would be home resting today, if he needed to talk. But since the thing he wanted to talk about was Kurt, he wasn’t quite sure how that was going to work out. It’s not like he could say, you know how I kissed you yesterday and told you that I have feelings for you well I do, but I still love my boyfriend and want to make it work with him, so got any ideas?

He caught a glimpse of Kurt slipping out of the reception hall. Dammit, he’d been counting on Kurt’s desire to sing with his friends again to keep him here, but he probably knew that he wouldn’t be able to avoid Blaine if they were on stage together. He had lead in the next song, but he was sure Mr. Shue and Ms. Pillsbury-Shue would understand.

He edged around the dining hall, breaking out into a run as he cleared the tables. He needed to get to Kurt before he made it to the parking lot. He was so concerned about making it in time, that Kurt’s, “Blaine,” took a moment before it processed. He turned to find Kurt holding open a back door and lifting his chin bidding him to follow him.

He felt the like the iron bars that had wound their way around his heart yesterday had finally loosened as he ran toward the now-closing door to follow Kurt. He found him as he opened the door, walking toward the Escalade parked at the far end of the lot. It had been parked in such a way that Kurt would have had a straight shot out of the lot if he needed. He jogged to catch up with him.

“Kurt,” He sounded like he was begging already. “Wait till we’re in the car. I’d like some privacy.” Kurt said, sounding cold and distant. This wasn’t good at all. 

They were quiet as they climbed into Kurt’s vehicle. He’d mentioned how much he missed having his car in New York often and it made him smile to see Kurt in such familiar surroundings. “Thanks for this Kurt. I know you’re upset, but you need to know I will do whatever it takes to make this right.”

“How are you going to make the fact that you cheated on me right?”

“I...” He’d almost let a denial out, but stopped. Lying about his feelings were what got him in this situation in the first place. “Listen, I do have feelings for David,” He rushed on despite the pained breathe Kurt released, “but I love you and want to be with you. I’ll do whatever it takes, quite the team, anything.”

Kurt wouldn’t meet his eyes, “So you think quitting the team will help. I mean, God, I’m going back to New York Monday morning and you and David are going to be here in the same school in the same town.”

He felt his brow furrow, “I guess I could transfer back to Dalton?”

“No!” Kurt rarely raised his voice and never like this, “You’re not transferring again. Maybe...I mean everyone said that long-distance relationships were hard. It’s not like it was going to work out anyway, so I think we should break up and if you have feelings for David...” Kurt’s voice trailed off to whisper.

“No, no, no, I love you and I’ll stay away from David and...” Even he had heard the hitch in his voice at the words.

Kurt faced him finally, “You care for him. I can see that now and he cares for you too -the way he was defending you yesterday.”

“He was just being a friend,” He tried lamely. Kurt let out a troubled sigh, “Finn saw you kissing in his truck. That isn’t what friends do.” Kurt sounded so final, like he’d already decided it was over.

“This isn’t the end. We’re forever, we promised.”

“Maybe, but for right now, I think we need to be apart.”

______________________________________________

He was probably too dazed to be driving, but there was no way he could stay and watch people celebrate a wedding much less sing. He felt like he could barely function. He’d thought about going home and calling Coop, but he’d only start talking about himself and his mom would just tell him he would get over Kurt in time. 

He laughed wiping at the tears in the corner of his eyes. There was only one person who would understand what he was feeling and he needed him, so he turned the wheel of his car. Took a moment to try and compose himself and headed for David’s street.

_______________________________________________

David’s house seemed strangely intimidating now that he was finally here. Well, maybe he could try and call his dad after all? He started slightly when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He rushed to pull the phone out, hoping maybe it was Kurt. He deflated slightly when he saw it just a text message but opened it just in case. He looked out of his windshield to find David after reading David’s ‘U can come in. If u want?’ 

He didn’t see him, but David’s room was on the second floor and the light was reflecting enough that he couldn’t make anything out. He texted a quick, ‘k’ back and got out of the car. He kept his head down as he approached the door, looking up and down the street guiltily. He was just going to talk to David, but the fact that someone had witnessed his kiss with David and passed it on to Kurt was making him feel like, well, like what he was -a cheater. He felt his tears begin again and nearly turned to leave when David’s front door flew open. “Come here,” David said holding out his hand. 

He took David’s hand and followed numbly as he led them to his room. David’s parents were home and he knew David's mother would probably be upset that he was here, but right now he didn’t care if she was pissed. He wanted to talk to David and they needed their privacy. His eyes focused on the sling crossing David’s back.

“How’s your arm?” He asked, his voice was dark and scratchy sounding, so he cleared his throat.

David looked at him worriedly over his shoulder, “It’s gonna be fine. Just gotta be careful with it for the next couple of weeks.” He said calmly as he released his hand to open the door to his room. 

David stood aside to allow him to enter. He moved into David’s room and waited as David closed the door behind him, “You don’t look so hot,” He said coming to face him.

He licked his lips as he tried to keep his overwhelming emotions in check, “I don’t feel so hot.”

David took his hand gently, “Did you talk to Kurt?”

He nodded, swallowing hard before he was able to get the words out, “He broke up with me.”

David’s worried face grew distraught, “What? I’ll call him.”

“And say what David? I mean, I kissed you yesterday.” David’s eyes glanced to the side as he spoke, “I told him that I would stay away from you, but he didn’t think it would work and I don’t want to lose you either.”

David leaned down, touching their foreheads together, “God, how messed up is this?” He said shaking his head slightly, so that his hair brushed his skin, “I don’t know whether I should be happy or hate myself or start crying like a little kid.” 

“David, don’t. You don’t have anything to feel bad for,” He pulled back so he could look in David’s eyes. “I’m the one that fucked everything up.”

David’s face fell, “No, it was me too.” David took a step back, “I was just so confused about...I mean, I'm in love with Kurt, but then I started to,” David turned his face away, “think I might be love with you too, but I knew you were in love with Kurt. I mean the way you talk about him and I thought maybe I was just confusing everything cause that’s what Kurt said I did before when I told how I felt.” 

And, that’s when it happened. Clarity like he hadn’t had in months. “Do you think you can love two people at the same time?” David turned his face to his quickly, his eyes wide with shock, “Uhm..?”

“It’s not a trick question,” He offered as reassurance.

“I don’t know. I mean isn’t that kind of...uh -wrong?”

He squeezed David’s finger, “They’re people who think being gay is wrong, but I think as long as two, well maybe three people love each other and are honest about it.” His voice got higher the longer he spoke as his excitement grew. “We have to go see Kurt.” He pulled David with him as he back to the stairs.

“No, wait,” He halted when he felt David pull back, “If you want Kurt that’s good, great, trust me I understand, but I’m not going to be some third wheel.”

“Third wheel? No way, David! Kurt has feelings for you.” David shook his head in disbelief, “No, he doesn’t.” He said firmly.

“Listen, I know Kurt and the way he talks about you and the way he reacted yesterday. If that had been anyone else in that room do you think he would have just walked away? He would have scratched any other guy’s heart out and mine too. And this afternoon when he...” He swallowed down a lump in his throat, “he told me that he could see that we care for each other, but he was so calm about it and that’s just not Kurt. Do you think he would have been that calm if it had been anyone else?”

“I don’t know,” He admitted, “But do you even know what you’re talking about?” David stepped in so he could whisper in his ear, “I mean the three of us. That’s...Kurt’s not going to go for something like that. I mean he’s kinda straight-laced for something like that.”

Okay, he could see David’s point, but Kurt wasn’t so much rigid as he was a believer in love and if they loved each other? “Okay, fuck it. We have to go to Kurt now, before he decides to leave. If he goes back to New York, he’ll never listen to what we have to say.” He pulled a disbelieving David down the stairs. David’s father calling for his wife to leave the boys alone, as they sped up to avoid any hindrances as they head for Blaine's car.

They were in the car and pulling out of David’s neighborhood in under a minute. David was waving out the window to his mom, who was standing in the front door a concerned Paul Karofsky at her shoulder whispering into her ear as they sped away. Normally, he’d never want to upset David’s parents, but time was not on their side and he felt pretty certain any attempts to explain what they were doing would not be met with positivity so he pushed the pedal to the metal and dialed Finn.

______________________________________________

Now that he was here his mind was starting to intercede on the behalf of logic and reason and morality and... “If we’re going to do this, let’s just do it, cause I’m going to freak the fuck out if we wait here any longer.” David said. He was right, of course. They had to go and go now.

Finn had been resistant to telling him anything when he’d called, fortunately Rachel had taken the phone from him and told him that Kurt had left the wedding shortly after he had -begging off the festivities due to a headache. Of course, Rachel had known the real reason for Kurt's retreat, so she ordered Blaine to go and win Kurt back.

“The garage is open and I know the code for the house. I say we just go in and beg Kurt to listen to us and we tell him that we love him and each other and that we think we could make this work.”

"Do you think we can make this work?" David sound doubtful.

"I wouldn't be here it I didn't think that."

“I hope you don’t think this is going to end up like some porn movie.”

“Gross -No!” He paused as a scene of the three of them together flashed through his mind making his pulse race. “Well, that would be something though, wouldn't it?”

“We’d better go before you bust a blood vessel or something,” David said, his face a deep red. Blaine smiled despite his nerves, cause, yeah, David had totally been getting hot about the idea of the three of them together. 

“Yeah,” He croaked, going for his car door.

“You sure he won’t shoot us? His dad seems like one of those ‘I have a gun in the closet’ kinda guys.”

“No, you’d be surprised at how nonviolent Burt is.”

“Yeah, well I kinda tried to avoid him after he almost smashed my face in.”

He tried to hide a small smile as he typed in the security code, “I tried to smash your face in once too, but we managed to get past it.”

He heard David snort before saying, “Yeah, I was more...” He opened the door into the Hummel-Hudson’s kitchen entry slowly, looking around to make sure they weren't popping in on Kurt getting a snack. “More?” He prompted as they tiptoed down the hallway. 

“More afraid of you outing me than busting my face.” David said anxiously. 

He was anxious too, “I think I’m going to call for him and see if he’ll let us talk to him.”

“Go for it,” David prompted with a shrug.

He swallowed hard. This had to work. “Kurt! It’s me! Can we talk?” He called through the open kitchen as he walked. He and David both stilled, their eyes drifting up as they heard shuffling and movement.

“He’s in his room,” He said and started for the stairs only to feel David’s hand at his shoulder.

“Let’s wait and let him invite us in. I don’t want him to feel like we’re forcing anything.” Blaine considered David’s worried face. “Yeah, your right. We’ll wait.”

Blaine winced as he heard the distinct sounds of Kurt stomping down the stairs. He readied himself to face a pissed Kurt, not an easy circumstance on his best days, nevermind the fact that he was a jumble of emotions and nerves.

“Blaine, I cannot believe you...” Kurt faltered when he saw them standing awkwardly in his kitchen. David took an instinctive step away, but since that was the wrong direction Blaine reached out for his hand, “David, just wait a sec, okay?” 

David looked down at his hand then to Kurt, who was just standing there frozen, “So I had this idea.” He pushed out, “Not an idea really more like a revelation.”

“I think you should leave,” Kurt’s quiet, hurt-sounding voice was almost enough to take his breath away.

“It doesn’t have to be like this. We could all have what we want if...” He halted, because was he really getting ready to suggest this... Kurt’s face was drawn in hurt confusion as David took a step toward him only to hesitate when Kurt stepped back.

“We all love each other. We can do this.”

“Do what?” Kurt seethed. His body going stiff as he struggled to calm himself. “What are you talking about? You’re not even making sense!”

He looked to David, but he was too busy looking at the floor to acknowledge him. He took several quick steps toward Kurt, who put up a palm to halt him. “David and me and you...look we can all be miserable apart or happy together.”

“Blaine...” David begged plaintively. 

“No, hear me out.”

Kurt was shaking his head in disbelief, “Am I have some stress-induced breakdown?”

“I told you this was crazy,” David said softly.

“It’s not. Listen, people do this in real life. They just keep quiet about it.”

“I am having a breakdown. Maybe I feel asleep? Did I take some pills?” Kurt was talking to himself like maybe he really thought this wasn’t happening.

Okay, maybe he needed to step back a bit. “Kurt just calm down and listen to me.”


	9. Untitled Hogwarts fic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This was my first story. It was quickly abandoned when I started on a couple of other stories. It was partially beta'd by my sis, who doesn't want her name online, but thanks just the same, sis. All remaining mistakes are mine and I do apologize for them. I know it's pretty rough, but I was very new to writing fanfiction when I started this and I'm hadn't written anything for years, so I beg forgiveness for whatever it may lack. Enjoy nonetheless!

Chapter 1

Neville was sitting quietly at his desk grading the 4th year’s papers about the “Effects of the Lunar Cycle on Planting” when a soft rap at the door brought his attention. “Yes, come in” he called. He lifted his head to find Clementine, his Prefect for Gryffindor, coming through the door. 

“Professor, Professor Reams sent me to give you this.” Clementine handed him a folded bit of parchment.

“Thank you, Clementine.” 

Neville was unfolding the piece of parchment when he noticed that Clementine had not moved and was in fact trying her best to not to look like she was reading the note in Neville’s hand. 

“Wouldn’t it have just been easier to read it on the way over?” 

The quietly intense girl, who always put him in mind of some weird combination of Percy Weasley on his worst day and Hermione on her best, gasped, eyes wide and turned to walk out the door. At the threshold, she turned and said “Albus and Scorpius weren’t in potions this morning and I didn’t see them at breakfast either.” 

Neville inhaled deeply, sitting back in his chair he closed his eyes for a moment running his hands through his short brown hair. He noticed that the potion he put in it to keep it straight had already worn off and it was curling at the ends. Exhaling, he said, “Thank you again, Clementine. If they don’t show up by dinner let me know.” The young Prefect smiled, puffed her chest slightly and with an “Of course, professor!” walked out the door.

The note Reams sent said that the boys had missed potions and were not on the sick list sent out each morning by Madame Promfrey. Which was usually no list at all since Madame could be counted on to heal most afflictions quicker than it took students to explain the reason they had come to see her in the first place. But, was still sent out dutifully by Owl each day so teachers could plan accordingly. 

When Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter, or Ablie and Scor has they preferred to be called had been sorted into Gryffindor last year, Neville had envisioned duels in the common room, a divided house, Draco Malfoy descending on him like a bird of prey, but none of these nightmare visions had prepared him for the trouble brought on by the friendship the boys had struck up. It wasn’t that they were bad kids per se, just that combining Albie’s quest to learn everything about everything and save the world while doing so combined with Scorpius’s ability to work around rules and generally out-think most of the student body and a good deal of the staff often left Neville with either other professors foisting the boys onto him to reign in and take to task or with the uneasy feeling that he’d just been outsmarted. 

Which reminded him that he never did get the full story on their escapade in the Forbidden Forest last Spring. Firenze was so angry when he dumped the boys in front of Neville’s search party, he galloped away without a word and no one in their party (people who had faced death eaters) was about to speak up for an explanation. 

Neville smiled remembering how Scorpius had jumped up from his indelicate landing and waved to Firenze, thanking him for the ride. The wilting look the Centaur shot him back had Scorpius dropping his hand to his side and helping Albie up off the ground, before smiling at the party and asking them to lead the way back to the castle. Of course, Neville had punished them with detention and loss of points, but it was difficult to decide on an appropriate punishment, since according to the boys all they did was get lost in the forest. 

Neville wasn’t sure he bought it but he wasn’t about to go traipsing around the forest for an interview with Firenze either.

Neville made a mental note to Owl the boys’ respective families if he hadn’t had word from them by dinner and to take a quick look about the school after his next class --which was in seven minutes down in the greenhouse 4. “Damn it!” He said, grabbing his robes and leaving the partially graded papers and Ream’s note on his desk to deal with later.

XXXXX

Neville was officially worried. After teaching for 15 years, he had seen students get themselves in all sorts of binds, had seen his friends for years before that do the same thing, but there was always an indication of where things had gone wrong. A tripped trap or the remnants of a spell gone wrong, but Albus and Scorpius had literally dropped off the face of the world. There was no evidence that they were anywhere in the school or on the grounds. The wards around the Forbidden Forest were all in place and as far as he could see had not been tampered with. No one had seen the boys since lights out last night. 

Of course, that didn’t mean they weren’t in the school. The headmistress had asked to be informed of the results of his search as soon as he returned from the forest. He and the professors had been dispatched to check and double-check the school and grounds when the boys didn’t show at dinner, with the request that the search be kept low-key as to not worry the other students and/or relatives of the missing boys any more than they were already starting to worry. 

James had come to the professor’s table after dinner and mentioned that he was concerned that he hadn’t seen Alby all day and to ask after rumors he’d heard that they hadn’t attended classes either. James had confirmed that none of their cousins or any other students had any information as far as he could tell about where the boys might be. 

Headmistress McGonagall had informed James that a search was imminent and asked that students return to dorms make the search easier for staff. She had also asked that any students who had any information that might be pertinent speak to her before retiring for the night. Neville’s unease grew when no one came forward.

Pausing at the door to the headmistress’s office, Neville heard Professors Reams and Lowell reporting that their searches had turned up nothing as well. Knocking and peeking his head around the partially opened door Neville shook his head to indicate his answer to the Headmistress’s unasked question.

“Well, I suppose we will need to notify their parents. Mr. Longbottom as the head of their house and one of the professors they are closest with, would you like to join me on the firecall?” 

“Of course, headmistress. So, who are we going to notify first? Harry and Ginny or the Malfoy’s?” 

“I suppose we should notify the Malfoys first, since I am sure the Potters will want to speak to their other children.” 

Turning towards the two other gentlemen in the room McGonagall said, “Professor Lowell would you mind collecting James and Lily and bringing them to my office. You can let them know that the search was not successful and that we are calling to let their parents know and that they will have a chance to speak with their parents.”

“And what of the rest of the clan, Professor? I’m sure the Weasley children will want to come along.” 

“Ask them to wait. We’ll keep them informed as best we can and I’m sure James and Lily will update them after the call.”

McGonagall turned, “Thank you Professor Reams, if there is anything else I’ll let you know.” The two gentlemen tipped their heads and walked towards the exit. 

XXXXX

A house elf answered the firecall to Malfoy Manner. “Isa gettin’ the master for ya then.” Once the headmistress had stated the purpose of the call. After a minute, the sharp features of Draco Malfoy entered into view. Neville had not seen Draco Malfoy in person for nearly 18 years, since the last of the Death Eater trials had ended a couple years after the war. Malfoy and Neville had provided testimony in several trials, including Draco’s own. After he was officially reprimanded and released, Neville had heard little of the man except for announcements of this engagement, marriage, the death of his father and Scorpius’s birth. Neville had fully expected a few Owls after Scorpius’s selection into Gryffindor, but none ever came, not even after some of the boys more sensational adventures during their first year at Hogwarts. 

“Headmistress, Professor Longbottom. Tilly tells me that there is an issue with Scorpius. Has he been injured?” The concern behind the question was barely hidden by Draco’s practiced haughty speech pattern, but the tension in his jaw made Neville’s teeth ache in sympathy. 

“I’m sorry Mr. Malfoy, but at this point we aren’t quite sure what has happened. Scorpius missed his classes today and after an initial search by Professor Longbottom and a subsequent search by the entire staff. We can’t seem to locate him or Albus Potter.” 

Neville thought that if looks could kill through a firecall surely he and the headmistress would be lying on the floor breathing there last. As it was, it took a moment for Malfoy to school his face and give a tight smile. “I have to be honest I have tried to keep my tongue about Scorpius’s association with young Mr. Potter, but if he keeps dragging my son along on his misadventures I may have to reconsider.” 

“Alby’s just as likely to be the one being drug along as doing the dragging, both boys are very spirited and probably too bright for their own good.” Neville added. He wasn’t sure why he felt the urge to protect the boy’s friendship, as it caused him a great deal of personal grief, but he felt that Alby and Scorpius, different as they are in many ways were good for each other. Scorpius helping Alby break out of the shadow and comfort of his family. Alby providing an intellectual and spiritual balance to Scorpius’s tendency to isolate himself from others. 

“I was thinking of Owling both you and the Potter’s before the winter break to suggest that the boys might benefit acting as tutors for some of the first-years in Potions and Herbology. Both seem to have a talent for the subjects and how they relate and I thought it might help burn off some of their excess intellectual energy as it were.” 

Malfoy turned his head to the side and smiled slightly. “Yes, potions was always my favorite subject. I’m afraid I may have taught Scorpius a little too much before sending him to school and it seems to be affecting his behavior.” Turning full into the fire and looking at Neville with a smile, Draco said “Let’s get them found first, then we’ll talk about more constructive uses of their time than trouble-seeking and detention.” Neville smiled back with genuine pleasure, he didn’t think Draco Malfoy smiled directly at anyone and it actually looked … kind of nice. 

Bringing himself out of that thought. Neville turned to the headmistress. “Mr. Malfoy, at this point I think we will need to do another extensive sweep of the school grounds, just to make doubly sure they are not on school grounds. I’ll have professors and staff looking between classes and send some of the house-elves down into Hogsmeade to see if the boys have been seen in town.”

“Professor if I might, I would actually like to be there to assist with the search. It’s been some time, but there are a few areas I’m sure the professors still don’t know about and I frankly can’t fathom waiting by the fire for a call. I assure you that it would be much better for both of us, if I was there and able to help... patience has never been a virtue of mine.” 

“Thank you Mr. Malfoy, your assistance would be helpful. I’ll have one of the house-elves make up a room for you. When do you think you’ll be arriving?”

“Allow me to pack a few things and speak with Astoria for a few moments and I’ll floo over. Is this fireplace open for traffic or should I take an alternate route?”

“I am preparing to call the Potter’s immediately, so you can come thru once the call is complete.” 

“Very well, I’ll see you shortly.” 

“Mr. Malfoy.” McGonagall said ending the call. 

“Well, that went a little better than I thought it would.”

“Yes, I thought sure he would shout on about lawyers and getting you tossed out on your broomstick.” 

“I’d like to see him try.” McGonagall said sniffing and raising her face and shoulders slightly in defiance.

“I’d actually like to see that myself.” Neville said laughing. 

__________

The call to the Potter’s went much the same way. With Harry and Ginny asking to floo in after gathering a few items that they felt could be helpful in the search. Neville and the headmistress had looked at one another at that statement and agreed that the more help the better and had retreated when the Potter’s asked to speak their older children. 

James and Lily evidently didn’t have any information that they felt more comfortable sharing with their parents that was relevant to the boys disappearance, so they ended the firecall and went back to their dorms to share updates with the others. James had wanted permission to be let out of classes to assist, but his parents had insisted that his preparation for NEWTS took precedence at least until they knew more and that should continue with his coursework. 

Malfoy called through almost immediately upon James and Lily’s exit and stepped into the headmistress’s office with a small black bag and in a rather simple but elegant shirt and vest with woolen slacks. Neville didn’t think he had ever seen Malfoy out of his dress robes. He looked good. Way better than the pale scared creature he had last seen outside a courtroom in the Ministry nearly 18 years ago. Malfoy bowed his head and greeted them. 

“Headmistress McGonagall, Professor Longbottom, it is a pleasure, though the circumstances of our meeting again are distressing, it is my hope that we can resolve this situation happily as soon as possible.” 

The smile was gone and Neville noted Malfoy’s stiff posture, his hand grasping his bag handle convulsively as though he were preparing to hurl it in someone’s face should the need arise. Noting his discomfort Neville stuck out his hand in greeting and with his best ‘glad to meet ya’ voice said, “Welcome Back, Malfoy.” 

The greeting and quick hand shake resulted in a visible reduction in the tension permeating Malfoy’s body and a loosening of the grip of his sorely abused bag handle as well as a slight smirk as Malfoy turned his head to the side. “Yes, thank you Professor it’s nice to be back.”

Headmisstress McGonagall added “Mr. and Mrs. Potter will be joining us shortly. They seemed to have some ideas that they felt could be beneficial to searching the school they wished to share with us.”

Malfoy nodded again as the headmistress offered him a seat. “I have some tea on the way, if you’d like and biscuits.” 

“That would be lovely. Thanks. When do you...” 

Malfoy’s question was cut off by a call from the fireplace as Harry appeared to let the headmistress know he and Ginny were coming through. They appeared a moment later. Somehow they had managed to get ash all over themselves and the carpet as they came through. They were busily dusting themselves and each other off and making a terrible mess. Neville looked at Malfoy as he turned his head from the dust up to see Malfoy looking at him with a slightly put upon expression and one eyebrow arching high up into his hair. Neville had to bite the inside of his check to keep a laugh in. 

Turning to Ginny and Harry once they had dusted off, Neville gave Ginny a hug and kiss on the check and Harry a hardy handshake that progressed into a couple of claps on each other’s shoulders. The headmistress greeted them with a tilt of her head and Malfoy stood making a slight bow and saying, “Mr. and Ms. Potter”

“Malfoy” Harry said with a slight grin. Ginny came around Neville and put her arms around Malfoy. The look of complete shock on Malfoy’s face was quite priceless. “Don’t worry, I’m sure the boys are fine.” Ginny said “They’ve gotten into a few scrapes and made it through, so once we get them found and thoroughly punished all should be right as rain again.” 

“Yes, thank you Ms. Potter for the reassurances I’m sure it will work out as you say.” Malfoy stepped back toward his seat effectively releasing himself from Ginny’s grip without appearing to have done so on purpose. Neville thought Malfoy did a good job of schooling his expression back quickly as Harry smiled brightly at his wife’s forwardness. 

“Harry, you said you had something that you thought would aid in the search?” 

“Oh, yes, Headmistress. If you’ll allow me a bit of room on your desk we may be able to get this all resolved tonight.”

Harry pulled a roll of parchment from his robe and began to unroll it on the headmistress’s desk. Once it was unfurled the group gathered round what appeared to be a rather detailed map of the school. Harry pulled out his wand and said “I solemnly swear I am up to no good” and looked down at the map.

Nothing happened.

Harry tried again “I solemnly swear I am up to no good.” Tapping his wand on the map for good measure.

Again, nothing happened.

“Perhaps, if we knew what we were waiting for Mr. Potter.” The Headmistress posited.

Ginny pulled out her wand and cast “Revello.” And looked at Harry shaking her head.

“Well, we are supposed to be looking at a magical map of the school. It came into my possession as a student and we used to use it for getting around the school. It should be showing us where we are as well as everybody else in the school, but it doesn’t seem to work anymore.” 

“Yes, it doesn’t seem to have any magical properties at all anymore.” Ginny added

Neville looked up to see a rather sour look on the headmistresses face then turned his back to the map to give it a closer inspection.

Malfoy leaned closer at the same moment his shoulder brushing Neville’s before apologizing and pulling his arm behind his back to avoid further contact. “That seems unlikely, it takes most magical objects centuries of disuse to lose their magical properties. It would be more likely that this object is a fake.” 

“You think?” Neville queried.

“Yes, see, the paper is not actually as old as it is made out to be...these discolorations are too perfect? A rolled up map would have discolored unevenly around the edges and on the outermost layers. Also, I would bet that when this map was made these symbol were not a part of the original design.” Malfoy said pointing to the map of the Gryffindor Common Room. Neville as well as Harry squeezed in closer to look at the area Malfoy was pointing at. 

The depiction of the Common Room did seem off. Certain shapes did seem to flow quite right. Not so much so that you would notice them right away. Just if you were really paying attention. Neville saw a very stylized S in a depiction of one of the rooms large picture windows then noticed an M in the seat of the window. Scorpius’s favorite study spot. Malfoy then pointed out a P using one long slim finger to trace the pattern in the room’s fireplace mantle.

“Those little...” Harry started.

“I’ll take it you showed Albus this map at some point.” Malfoy asked, cutting off the start of Harry’s tirade.

Neville tilted his head up and noticed the headmistress roll her lips together in the effort to not speak.

“Yes, before Albus started last year, he was so nervous. I showed him some of my keepsakes from school, but I told him, as I told his brother and sister that this map was not to leave the house. I wanted them to enjoy school, but stay out of trouble a great deal more than I managed.”

“Oh, I’d say that this map as helped Albus and Scorpius a great deal in that regard. It’s good to know my teacher’s instincts are so finely honed. I’ve often wondered how many times I’ve been putting the boys in detention with only half the story.” 

“Well, I am sorry the map seems to be a bust. So, should we start searching tonight or in the morning?” Harry put out to the group.

“After the war and the subsequent rebuilding of the school, the team that I worked with took a great deal of care in warding the more dangerous areas of the school and none of those areas show any signs of the wards been taken down or interfered with from our first search. So we know that at the least, they aren’t anywhere known to be dangerous. We should start in the morning, it could be they are in some part of the school we don’t know about or that they have left school grounds.”

Malfoy opened his mouth, but the headmistress cut him off. “Of course, we have checked every exit point to the school, and none of the wards to be down and there is no evidence of any kind of magic that would be left behind by the use of a broom or another form of magical transport.”

“And you’ve ruled out anybody coming into the school?” Malfoy shifted away from the table, travelling over the fireplace and looking into the flames. 

Taking a deep breath he added, “After Scorpius’s birth announcement we had an uptick in our usual number of death threats. Apparently, some thought my son would be better off dead than having a blood-traitor for a father.” Malfoy said evenly as though he weren’t talking about the murder of his infant son and turned with a smirk to face the room. “It wasn’t just pure-bloods, who thought they would be doing the world a favor by ending the Malfoy line. We even got threats from elements supporting my son’s murder as my due for associating with Deatheaters and my family’s …..service of the dark lord.”

Neville was shocked. To advocate the murder of an innocent child, he tried to speak, but Harry beat him to it. “What? Did you report those threats? I’ve never heard of them.”

“No, No, Astoria and I decided that reporting the threats would just stir up interest in Scorpius and our family, so we kept it to ourselves. The threats dwindled down after a year or so to the usual ones we get during certain anniversaries, but those usually don’t mention Scorpius.” 

“You really should have let the Ministry know Malfoy, we could have protected your family, found out who was making the threats and assessed them to determine who was blowing off steam and who may be a legitimate threat.”

Ginny grabbed Harry’s arm as he moved to get closer to Malfoy. He looked at her and halted his movement. Harry turned to look at myself and the Headmistress, before turning back to Malfoy.

“Have you had any recent threats?

“No, but that doesn’t mean someone hasn’t been waiting for their chance.”

“Mr. Malfoy, I can assure that no one has been on campus. The wards protecting the school from the outside world are still in place and are even stronger now than they were when you were a student.”

Malfoy tensed at the headmistresses’ words and turned facing the fireplace again, placing his hands on the mantle shoulders width apart. Neville noted that he struck quite the figure framed by the ancient stone and the huge fire burning within it, head bowed as though the flames themselves held the answer. Neville also noted that he needed to keep his mind on the issue at hand and not Draco Malfoy’s figure. 

An uncomfortable silence settled in the room. 

Neville spoke up. “Might I suggest we retire and begin searching first thing in the morning, we’ll take a very early breakfast and begin before students are up and about. Professor I have a light day tomorrow, so I should be able to assist.” 

“You have an empty day tomorrow. I’ll have the other professors fill in for you as best they can and I will search as well as any other staff we can manage to pull. We’ll do a physical search of the entire school and grounds and send someone into the Forbidden Forest to speak with the centaurs and someone down into Hogsmeade.”

“I’ll call Ron, he’s more likely to get results in Hogsmeade. He has a lot of contacts there through work and I know he’ll want to help.”

“Very well then shall we retire and meet in the Great Hall just before sun up? I’ll inform the house -elves and staff right away so we can get our arrangements made. Neville would you mind showing the Potter’s and Mr. Malfoy to the rooms we have for them?”

“Of course.” Malfoy returned to the headmistress’s desk to retrieve his bag left by his abandoned seat. Ginny and Harry gathered up the fake map and their belongings as well and followed Neville to the door. 

_______

Neville rarely felt awkward anymore. After all he was a war hero, respected professor and researcher, but walking through the halls of Hogwarts with one somber Draco Malfoy, an unhappy Harry and equally distressed Ginny all trying their best to ignore each other forced him to give into his compulsion to talk and spout off about many of the changes the Headmistress had instituted since taking over the school. 

This included an in-depth explanation of how the professors wings were now more centralized with housing units divided up for professors with families and those who were unattached. And, how the abolition of the ‘singles only rule’ had a direct correlation to teacher turnover and rates of insanity. It turns out that people who were alone and really focused on subjects like the ‘dark arts’ were not always the best choices to teach children. The headmistress and Madam Promfrey were going to do a presentation on their findings at an International Wizard Teaching Conference in the Spring.

When they arrived at Ginny and Harry’s room Neville exchanged good-nights and handshakes. Malfoy stayed off to the side with a slight bow and goodnight to the pair. An equally restrained goodnight was returned as the pair retired to their room.

“We have a room for you close to mine further up the tower. Are you alright with your bag?”

“I can carry my own bag Longbottom. I’m not totally dependent on servants!”

“That’s not what I meant, I was just trying to be polite.” Neville supplied.

Malfoy exhaled deeply, “Of course, you were, my apologies. This has been a rather draining day and I’m not my best when I’m worried.” 

“Yes, I seem to recall that. You must have been worried a great deal of the time when I first met you.”

“Are you trying to take the piss out of me?” Malfoy asked incredulous.

“Yes.” Neville supplied obligingly. Neville stopped a step above Malfoy looking down at him.

“Hey, let’s start over, you call me Neville, except when I’m in front of the students, and I’ll call you Draco, well all the time, because I can’t think of reason not to and we’ll pretend we are two adults who have grown past the trials and regrets of our youth, who can relate to each other as the pillars of society we have become.” 

The look on Ma-Draco’s face would have been best described as amazement.

“Alright then ...Neville” Draco nodded his head. “Let’s start over.” 

“I’m Draco and your Neville nee Professor Longbottom in certain company. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Draco bowed deeply. When he came back up to meet Neville’s eyes the smile was back...it was even nicer in person. 

Draco had aged well. His skin was the color of porcelain and still unlined, his physique was slender, but he had filled out a bit in the shoulders and torso, so he wasn’t whippet thin any longer but not an ounce of overindulgence showed itself anywhere. 

Of course, he didn’t spend hours in the sun each day, which Neville used to explain the fine lines around his eyes and being served copious amounts with each meal no matter how many times the house elves were asked to cut back on portion sizes did add a bit of softness around the muscles he’d built from those hours in the sun, but he would still be considered ,as an ex-lover once put it, “a real hunk of a man.”

Draco’s raised eyebrow clued Neville into the fact that he had been staring too long. Faking a small cough Neville raised his arm and turning him palm face up as said, “Shall we.”

The room the elves had prepared for Draco was directly across the hall from Neville’s. When they arrived Neville didn’t fight the urge to show Draco around the room, since it was the mirror to his own with a small sitting room, including a semi-private office space directly off to the right. Through the sitting room and to the left were a nice size bedroom and small private bath. After the tour, Neville began to excuse himself when Draco interrupted with “Nightcap?” 

“Actually, that would be lovely. Shall I have the house elves make us a hot toddy?” 

“Please”

Neville called for Mathilda. Who popped into the room with a “Yes Sir?”

“Mathilda would you mind making a hot toddy for myself and Mr. Malfoy?”

“Sir, would’ya be liking it served here or in your quarters sir?”

“Here would be fine, Thanks.” 

“Have a seat... Neville” Neville noted that the word Neville did not roll off Draco’s tongue quite so easily as the word Longbottom did, but he was just getting used to the name after all, so Neville decided a smirk at Draco’s awkwardness was enough of an observation has they sat down on the small couch in the living area.

“So as you were saying, the headmistresses reforms of the school’s staffing procedures have brought a great deal of positive change to the school. But since you are up here in the tower, I assume that you have never married.”

“Me, oh no” Now this could get sticky, Neville thought. “I’ve not married.”

“I would have thought your family would have insisted on you continuing the Longbottom line and arranged one for you.” 

“Well, Gran did talk to me about her hopes in that regard, but I was never a believer in arranged marriages, though I know there are happy ones out there,” Neville added quickly “And, well, I just never wanted to live a life where I wasn’t honest with myself or the person I was with.”

Malfoy opened his mouth and closed it again. “Oh, I see. Then there were never going to be any children.” 

“No.” Neville felt his cheeks pink. He was proud of himself, of who he was and the life he had built for himself. It wasn’t embarrassment about that, just that well, he was talking about some highly personal information with Draco ‘bloody’ Malfoy and he hadn’t had to come out to anyone in years. He reckoned that he was just out of practice.

Mathilda arrived with a platter of two hot toddies and a few biscuits for good measure. Setting the platter on the small table in front of the couch. “That’ll be all for’ya, I spectin.” 

“Yes, Mathilda, thanks. We’ll set the tray in the hall for the morning crew.”

“Well, good ni’ to ya sirs.” She disappeared with a quiet pop.

Draco reached for his toddy. “It was brave of you to stand up for your beliefs. I...” Draco stopped looked down into his toddy and looked up at Neville again. The smirk was back “I am surprised at how much I have loved being a father.” Neville had the feeling that is not what Draco had originally planned to say but listened on.

“At first, when Astoria got pregnant I was just relived to have lived up to my duty to continue the line and my duty to her. But, the first moment I saw Scorpius, it was unlike anything I had every felt before. He was so small and perfect I loved him completely. Then when I saw how dependent on Astoria and I he was, it was bloody terrifying.” 

“I’ve tried to be good father. I know I have been overprotective, especially so, when he was younger, but I have tried to teach him the skills he will need to live in the world as it is and not cling to some old-fashioned notion of how the world should be.”

“Yes, I have seen your efforts come to fruition in Scorpius’ interactions with others. He is tolerant, of others and has been accepted by his peers and the staff...even though it was ...difficult for some to see past his name at first.”

“I have kept very little of our family’s history from Scorpius. I wanted him to be prepared for how others might react to him.”

Malfoy continued, “I’ve wanted to thank you for some time, as well, I know your acceptance of him as a member of Gryffindor has been a great boon to Scorpius. He has spoken to me about his enjoyment of your classes and his appreciation of your disciplinary style. Apparently, at some point an upper classman told him that you disciplined students by burying them up to their necks in the garden to scare away crows.” 

“Well, that explains why he was so terrified the first time I asked he and Alby to meet me in the greenhouse to help with re-potting. The look on their faces was really quiet priceless.” 

Draco smiled and inquired about an article in a recent parent owl about the school’s new gardening project. Neville himself was presenting at next year’s International Wizardry Teaching Conference about the project he started to encourage local growing and gardening. The project not only made the school more self-sustaining, but also to taught students and staff how to grow their own food. Alby and Scor had spent many a afternoon’s detention weeding the fruits and vegetables grown in the garden and many a supper supplying the other students with tales about the pests that once infested some of the food the other students were trying to enjoy.

Neville smiled and began explaining the intricacies of growing fruits and vegetables and about how proud the staff and students were of their accomplishments. They spoke for a long time, Draco asking questions about the project and recounting Scorpius’s excitement over the project. They spoke so long Neville barely noticed the time or the fact that they had both long ago finished their toddies and biscuits. The clock in the room struck midnight. 

“Oh, my, Draco you shouldn't have let me bore you so long. We need to be up in five hours.”

“Nonsense, I was very curious about the project and I can see it means a great deal to you.” Draco gave Neville a shy smile “You should be proud.”

Neville’s chest tightened briefly and he couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah, I am proud, thanks.”

“Well, I guess I better go and try to get a few hours in.” Neville said putting his hands on his knees to lift himself up into a standing position.

“Oh, of course.” Draco said standing at the same time.

“Well... um Goodnight, then.” Draco supplied a strange note of uncertainty in his voice.

“Ah....yes Goodnight.” Neville said feeling strangely awkward again and scooted around the table to leave, nodding to Draco still standing by the couch his hands in his pockets as he closed the door.

______

Neville crossed the hall and closed the door to his quarters, leaning his body back against the door letting his head hit the door with a gentle thunk! He couldn’t figure out why he feel so strange all of a sudden, like maybe the world was spinning too slow or too fast maybe. He and Draco had had perfectly lovely conversation about the school and Scorpius’s involvement in the gardening project. Draco had made a few suggestions for some fertilizing potions his mother developed for the rose gardens at the Manor that seemed promising even. 

Usually, spending the evening talking about his favorite subject with an intelligent attractive man would have been ...”Oh” he said out loud. Neville’s face reddened, “Jeez, Nev, that’s brilliant. I need to get out more.” Neville let out a small laugh and sat against the door for a few more moments before dragging himself into his evening absolution's and off to bed.

END Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Neville woke after only 5 or so short hours of semi-peaceful sleep. He couldn’t help analyzing his reactions last night and Mal...Draco’s. He had seemed to feel the same discomfort at parting that Neville had, but maybe that was just his hormones talking. It had been a year and half since he and Jeffrey had broken it off and he just hadn’t felt like putting an effort in to meeting anyone new. He had thought after 8 years he was done looking, but Jeff, well, no need to go through that hash again. Neville shook his head and said “Not to mention the fact he’s married old boy.” Neville rose with a stretch to meet the long day ahead.

He had knocked on Draco’s door as he was going down, assuming he was already in the Great Hall having breakfast Neville headed that way. Good, he thought, his focus and mine should be Scorpius and Albus. 

The house-elves had a buffet type of arrangement set up along a side table near the Head table the professors occupied. Neville saw a couple of other professors as well as Hagrid and Teddy helping themselves to servings of fruit, various breads and sausages. Harry, Ginny and Ron were eating already and the headmistress must have finished because she seemed to be scribing something on a piece of parchment while taking sips of her tea. Draco was next to her sipping tea and making comments on whatever the headmistress was writing. 

She didn’t seem terribly pleased at the scrutiny, but was bearing it well enough that Neville decided against intervening and went to fix himself a plate. A couple of the caretakers joined behind Neville. 

Rivers and Danvers had been at the school since Filch had retired some years back and were busy where taking bets with each other about where and in what shape the boys would be found.  
Neville turned around with a down-turned mouth and glared at their attempts to make light of any injuries the boys could have, quickly silencing the pair. 

Once his plate was full he made his way over to Ginny and Ron, Harry having gone to look over the headmistresses other shoulder. 

“Ron, bloke how are you and how’s Mione doin’?” Neville greeted him smiling.

“Oi, Neville, how ya doin’ mate? Mione sends her regards. She’s actually at the Ministry do some checking, since there’s been some threats against the Malfoy’s or she’d be here herself.”

“That’s a brilliant idea. Draco will be glad to know that she’s following up.” 

“Reckon he will at that.” Ron said turning to look at Harry, Draco and the Headmistress still crowded around the parchment.

“At least all the effort Alby and Scorpius put into that map will pay off.” Ginny supplied.

“Oh, well that will make things a bit easier. I’ve lived in this school more than half my life and I still get turned around at times.” 

Harry, the Headmistress and Draco lifted their heads from their work to survey the room. They seemed to be taking a head count. Draco’s eyes locked with Neville’s for a moment, a half-smile came to his face as he nodded to Neville. Neville had to smile back, it would have been rude not to. The fact that his heartbeat speed up -just a little when looking into Draco’s eyes was a little disturbing and Neville decided that he could stop acting a 12-year old girl any time now. Hell, maybe channeling that 12-year old boy who avoided Draco Malfoy like the plague that he was would be a good idea.

The Headmistress, Draco and Harry all stood back from the parchment. McGonagall lifted her wand and said, “Septum imatari.” A small stack of maps appeared on the table. 

“May I have your attention everyone?” We have created a search grid of the school. Two person teams will take the sections that we have marked for them on the map. Teams will be asked to report back to assistant headmistress Parkinson, who will be overseeing everything from my office.”

Neville had wondered where Pansy had gotten herself off too, she was usually in the thick of it. Harry grabbed a map and motioned to Professor Reams, apparently teams would be mixed, which was a good idea since the not all the professors had been students and wouldn’t know some of the hidey holes former students knew and the professors would know the spells needed to check the buildings wards.

McGonagall motioned to Danvers and Rivers, gave them a copy of the map and bent to show them something. 

Ron grabbed his robe and gave Gin a quick hug. “I’ll be off to town then, let you know as soon as I hear anything.”

“Thanks Ron.” Ginny smiled at him, though Neville could see it didn’t extend into her eyes. She didn’t look like she had gotten a great deal of sleep either. 

Ron was heading to the hall exit as were Hagrid and Teddy, probably on their way into the forest.  
There was a time Hagrid would have went alone, but he didn’t get around as good anymore and Teddy was moving more and more into Hagrid’s place. Neville suspected once Hagrid was satisfied that he had Teddy trained up proper he would retire.

Noticing motion next to him, Neville turned to see Professor Smith talking to Ginny about their search area and he moved towards the head table to gather his search partner and map. Danvers and Rivers walked past as he made it up to the headmistress. “Professor Longbottom, good I have you and Mr. Malfoy in the dungeons.” She said leaning down retrieve a copy of the map. Neville’s eyes shot towards Draco as he took the map from the headmistress. His face was blank as he regarded the map.

“It seems some sections have changed from my memory of them.”

“Yes, we did have to do some re-building there as with most areas of the school, but Mr. Potter’s map seems to have been able to track these changes and Albus and Scorpius have re-created them faithfully.”

Lifting his head and meeting Neville eyes, Draco said, “Shall we?”

“Of course.” Neville nodded. 

Draco grabbed the robe off the back of his chair and started towards the door. Neville falling in alongside.

\-----  
The dungeons were not Neville’s favorite part of the school. It was kind of dark and his least favorite classes and least favorite teachers had seemed to thrive in the dank environment, so he rarely made it down this way. Draco stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked around a small smile on his face. His eyes settling on Neville he said, “The Headmistress suggested we do the classrooms and offices first then move on to the Slytherin dorms once students are in class.”

“You seem quiet this morning.” Draco said coming to a stop at the Potions Classroom doorway. “Didn’t you rest well?”

“Oh, me I’m fine...its just I didn’t get my regular 8 hours and I usually spend an hour or so working in the gardens and greenhouses in the morning. My blood hasn’t made it to my brain yet s’all.” Neville said moving into the classroom. Draco was strangely silent, so Neville turned to face Draco still standing just inside the doorway.

Draco had raised an eyebrow so high that Neville worried he might be straining a muscle. “So your blood is occupying your nether regions then?” 

Draco Malfoy laughed at what Neville could only imagine was possibly the reddest face that a human being could have without throwing a stroke.

“Oh God, No, I didn’t mean it like that ...I...I uh”

“Relax, I was just taking the piss out of you. You seem tense, I was just trying to loosen you up. I thought I was supposed to be the dark brooding one in this endeavor.” Draco’s face softened. “Look, it’s going to be a long day, if you’d rather I’m sure we could track down Harry.

“Oh, it’s not...” Neville shook his head, “I’m sorry, if I’m distracted. It’s to do with me, not you.”

Neville pulled out his wand and said, “So as you say, shall we?” 

Draco explained that the plan was to place Revello spells that had been modified to track Albus and Scorpius’s magical signatures. If there had been any recent spells cast by Albus or Scorpius the residual magic left behind should glow red for Albus and yellow for Scorpius, at least letting them know the last whereabouts of the boys. The difficult part would be deciphering the magic to see if it revealed what type of spell had been used. Most everyday spells left so little residual magic behind that they probably wouldn’t leave much to go by and any particularly intense magical signatures would have to be studied by the searchers to determine if the spell was a part of the boy’s school-work or had been cast in self-defense. 

“It may be possible for the spell to detect magics that could have been used against the boys, if the caster was specifically targeting them, so anything that seems too advanced for them should be followed up on immediately. According to Potter, he and Weasley know some ‘top secret’ Auror spells that could trace the magic back to its caster.” Neville could’ve sworn he heard Draco’s eyes roll though he didn’t see it happen. “So, if we find something that raises any red flags, we’re to send a patronus?”

“Got it. Though this room is libel to send off a couple of flares.” Neville supplied. “Alby and Scor have had a couple of projects go south in here. You know it took Reams weeks to figure out that the reason most of their potions didn’t work out didn’t have anything to do with their skills, but with their attempts to blend charms and potions work to make the potions stronger.” 

Draco grimaced slightly, “Yes, that was my influence, I’m afraid. There is a bit of the mad scientist in me and I’ve been attempting to enhance a few potions by charming them to increase efficacy or duration.” 

“Oh, has anything worked out?” 

“Well, yes and no. For every step forward I stumble back a few. I’ve had luck adding some transfiguration spells to polyjuice potion, but the results are not consistent.”

Draco face turned thoughtful as he walked past Neville and began casting along the south wall looking for the boys magical signatures. Neville began to cast himself. Starting with the student desks, bending down to take a look at a faint yellow signature at what must be a pot recently used by Scorpius. Neville had a thought, “You know that we grow all our potions ingredients perhaps the quality is ...” Neville trailed off as he looked toward Draco who had almost made it the teacher’s stage.

“Are you trying to insinuate that I purchase inferior products, Professor?” Draco asked haughtily though clearly distracted by a red glow on the door of one of the potions cabinets.

“No, just erm,” there was a red signature that took Neville a couple of seconds to decide was a silencing spell around a couple of desks before he continued, “well, different growers sometimes apply different techniques to growing the same raw materials. Usually, the differences are mild enough that most potions wouldn’t be affected, but if you’re introducing another form of magic to the process those differences could be affecting the outcome. My fourth years just finished research papers and projects about the effects of the lunar cycle on growing various plants and that’s just one way that growers differ in their planting techniques.”

“Huh, you may have something there Professor. If I only knew a herbologist who could provide me with ingredients and an in-depth knowledge of the growing techniques used for them, I could test your theory in depth.” Neville looked at Draco and decided that this teasing, though a little unsettling to his nerves, was way better than 12-year old Draco, no matter how often Neville had to remind himself he was being a little foolish to enjoy it so much.

“Are you suggesting a partnership?” 

“Certainly not, I want all the credit for myself.”

Neville rolled his eyes, “Really, wanting to be the center of attention Draco, not you?”

“Hmm, I know hard to imagine isn’t it.” Oh, god that smile was back and Draco’s surprisingly bright grey eyes were looking right into Neville’s. Neville felt his chest tighten and grinned back in what he could imagine was the most embarrassing way possible before tearing his eyes away to continue his search. 

They went on in silence casting and reviewing their findings for several moments until Draco queried, “So would you?” Neville looked at Draco and knit his brows together in question. 

“be willing to provide the raw materials that is and information, not for free I would pay of course or make an arrangement with the school...” Draco trailed off waiting for an answer.

“Yes, I would and you wouldn’t have to pay, I would like to be kept abreast of your developments though...just out of curiosity.”

“Of course.”

Eventually they had checked and double checked every part of the classroom and it looked clear of any defensive and attacking spells. “So, where to next?”

“Uh, the professor’s office up the stairs then... then the professor’s lab and storage.” Neville noticed the hint of apprehension in Draco voice, but made no comment as he followed Draco up the stairs.

Once in the office, they began to cast about the small room. After a few minutes with no results they began down the hidden stair case the professor’s labs and storage. As they entered the lab Draco said, “You mentioned last night that you thought I would be displeased with Scorpius’s selection into Gryffindor...I wanted to say that… that I was surprised by the selection, but happy too. At least you have always been honest in your beliefs and to my knowledge up-front with those around you about them. It is more than I can say for dear old Professor Snape.” The first had been said quietly but the sour note on Snape’s name was palpable. 

“You...” Neville began suddenly incredulous.

“I’m not!” Draco said raising his voice, turning to look at Neville with burning eyes. Neville mentally prepared to berate Draco if he began any of that blood-traitor shite, but held his breath, crossed his arms and said “Not what?”

“I’m not...” Draco exhaled his shoulders slumping slightly, “After the war I re-evaluated some of the beliefs, those taught to me by my father, my family, there was this speech I heard once, some American if you can believe that” Draco said a smirk forming, “who said a person should be judged on the content of their character, something about it rang true to me and that is what I have tried to teach Scorpius, but, but ..Snape, he was one of the people I trusted to teach me how to live in the world.” 

Draco made an expansive gesture, arm out and palm open and turned in a semi-circle around the lab, “how many hours did I spend in this lab, at Snape’s side, him re-enforcing every idea my father taught me about blood purity and Voldemort as the savior of the whole bloody wizarding world. He never even tried...” Draco dropped his arm and his voice, “to tell me, tell me,” Draco exhaled heavily out of his nose, “I don’t know... something.” Draco closed his eyes and turned away from Neville. 

“After the tower, I was terrified, of what I had done, what I thought he had done, but he acted like everything we were doing was right so I pretended I thought so to....” Draco’s head was turned down and he was looking intently at the floor as he trailed off. 

Draco was hurt, still very much so, by Snape’s betrayal and not in the Death-Eater standard ‘blood traitor’ way, but by the betrayal of their relationship. It was hard for Neville to see Snape as anyone’s guidepost, but with the Malfoy family as your moral center, Draco was probably in desperate need of a mentor and Snape as the head of his house would have been a natural draw.

A small part of Neville wanted to wrap his arms around Draco’ shoulders and tell him that Snape lied to everyone that he was just doing what every spy does to survive, to win. That it was all for the greater good. Of course, that was probably cold comfort for the betrayed, so he said nothing.  
Neville understood, even he had felt betrayed by Snape after the war. He had spent so much energy that last year hating the man. Neville could honestly say he would have outright murdered Snape, if given the chance that year. It took months of Harry exalting Snape’s memory for Neville to let go of some of that hatred.

“I’m sorry, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you. That day, after the battle, I saw your family, you all seemed so lost.” Draco turned slightly towards Neville, an eyebrow heading towards his hairline, the hard line of his mouth softening slightly. 

“Yes, we were, speaking of lost, I should ‘get over myself’ as Scorpius would say and we should get back to business. I can’t believe I’m letting this place throw me into a fit of melancholia. Regardless, my regrets.” 

Ready to let the subject drop himself Neville said, “Yes, right then, I’ll take the storage unit then and you take the lab?” 

“Yes, yes that’s good.” Neville went into the storage room and began casting around the room that was about the size of a good walk-in closet. He wasn’t expecting to get much in here which is why he said “Humpf” out loud when he saw a rather bright red and yellow spell show up on the north wall of the storage area. 

Neville stepped as close to the two spells as he could, but was blocked by a side table that ran the length of the wall. It looked to be an alohomora but there as far as Neville could tell there was no door or passageway for the spell to open. It also looked like the boys had been casting the same spat at the same moment. Neville turned when he heard Draco enter the room. 

“You’ve found something?”

“I’m not sure, it’s an alohomora just a couple of days old, but …” Neville parted his hands and presented the wall to Draco.

“Uhmm” Draco said as he looked at the wall then slowly turned on his heel surveying the room.

“This room seems smaller than I remember” Draco said knotting his light brows together.

Neville smiled at Draco leaning back against the table and crossing his arms.

“I know, I know everybody says that when they go back to school, but this room is smaller!” 

Draco walked closer to Neville their arms brushing as he leaned against the table to study the spell. Draco pulled out his map and spread it on the table. Neville moved so that he could see the map and leaned in close. This close he could feel the heat of Draco’s body in the cold damp room that never saw the sun. He began to sway towards the warm body next to him, seeking warmth when Draco elbow bumped into his ribs. “Oh, sorry, it’s bloody freezing down here.” Neville noticed that despite the sorry Draco didn’t move away and neither did he. “

See how the lab and the store room are nearly the same size, but the wall ends here when it should go on several more feet at least.” Draco pointed at the area of the map and Neville agreed that if it was correct they were in a room that was quite a bit smaller than it should be. Draco folded the map and returned to his robe. “Help me with this table.”

Neville placed his hands under the edge of the table as Draco did the same and tugged. They both let go, when the table didn’t budge. “Is it attached somehow?” Draco asked ducking his head down to look under the table, Neville assumed he was looking for something to indicate that the table was anchored to the wall, 

“No, we would have felt some give even then, I think, it must be a sticking spell.” 

“Well, perhaps if we cast the same spell the boys did?” Draco suggested, “Maybe it will move the table or...”

“Perhaps, we should have Harry come and take a look first?” Neville said cringing. He knew the suggestion probably would not be meet well.

Draco glared at him icily. Neville congratulated himself silently for correctly predicting Draco’s response and said, “Well, I’m sure with his experiences as an Auror have taught him many things about hidden passageways and so forth.”

“I think we can handle a simple alohomora. Between the two of us, if anything goes wrong I’m sure we can handle it.” 

“I’m sure that’s what Albus and Scorpius thought as well.” 

The ice in Draco’s eyes melted a little and he tilted his head down. “We don’t even know if it means anything. I’ll cast it and if anything opens or moves we’ll call Potter. Otherwise, we may be wasting valuable search time for nothing.”

Neville inhaled sharply and exhaled as Draco looked up at him a hint of defiance in his eyes. “Okay, we’ll cast and see what happens, but if anything happens we will call Harry.”

“Of course” Draco said standing back preparing to cast. “Alohomora!” Neville and Draco waited a moment looking around the room in case they had missed anything. “Well, maybe it is nothing then.”

“They both caste the spell at the same area, mayhaps it takes two wands to unlock whatever they were trying to unlock. Come on we’ll cast together.”

“Ummm... I have to be honest now I’m really thinking we should call Harry.” Neville said sounding slightly worried.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a simple spell, maybe just a slightly more complicated lock. Come on let’s give it a go.”

“Okay, but this is against my better judgment.” Neville said coming to stand alongside Draco.

“What about that great Gryffindor courage I’m always hearing about? Wait, the spells are almost completely intertwined we’ll have to have our wands right on top of each other.” Draco said as he changed his stance so that he was standing sideways with his wand arm outstretched. 

Neville sidled alongside Draco matching his stance. “Here, let me...” Neville said as he placed his hand on Draco’s flank to move him a bit closer to what he figured was the right spot. 

Neville felt Draco stiffen at his touch and heard the breath catch in his throat. Neville noted the intimacy of their positions and flinched inwardly. “Uh...I...erm sorry” he said as he dropped his hand from Draco’s side.

“No, no that’s fine, just wasn’t expecting you s’all. Do you think we’re in proper position?” Draco said a slight quiver in his voice that he quickly recovered from. 

“Oh, um yes I think so.” Neville looked at the back of Draco’s head. The flaxen hair perfectly styled as always and nearly swallowed his tongue when Draco turned his face up and towards Neville. They were only a few inches apart and Draco’s expression was completely unreadable almost blank. They stood like that for a moment. 

Neville wanted to say something, but his mind was utterly blank, unfortunately his body wanted to make a few bold statements. His neck wanted to lower his head the few inches down to Draco’s mouth, his skin wanted to feel Draco’s breath moving against it as he got closer, his lips wanted to touch Draco’s pale pink lips and his tongue want to feel those lips as it brushed against them. A wave of arousal flooded Neville’s body making his limbs feel heavy and weak at the same time. He swallowed thickly.

Draco’s brow furrowed as he pressed his lips together. He cleared his throat. “Ready?” He said quietly. 

“Yes” Neville said just as quietly, then said “Yes” again a bit louder to cover up his discomfort. 

Draco turned toward the now fading spell signatures and nodded his head. Neville took this to mean it was time to cast and said, “Alohomora!” 

They lowered their arms and listened as a series of metallic clinks reverberated around the room. The groan of stone against stone drew there attention below the table still standing against the north wall. A small group of stones moved to the left revealing a small passageway.

“Okay, we should call Harry now.” Neville stated eyeing the opening with his hands on his knees.

“Lumos” Draco said as he got down on his knees and shuffled towards the opening, ignoring Neville completely. 

“Erm, Draco?” 

“I’m just going to take a peak.” Draco huffed, placing a hand on the table to steady himself as he bent closer to the opening, putting the lit end of his wand into the opening. 

“Draco?” Neville tried again as Draco went down to hands and knees and began to crawl towards the opening. Neville went down to get a better look as well. “I don’t think you should go any further.”

“It looks like the other part of the room, this wall must be a recent addition...let me see.” Draco said as he started to crawl into the room.

“Whoa, where the bloody hell do you think you’re going?” Neville said grabbing Draco’s ankle. 

“My son maybe in there. He may be hurt. I am going in!” Draco said, a dangerous icy edge to his voice that Neville hadn’t heard since they were boys. Neville let go of Draco’s leg when they both looked down at Neville’s hand on Draco’s ankle. Neville felt his face heat. “Okay, but be careful and stay where I can see you.” 

Neville sat on the floor and watched as Draco crawled forward into the dark opening one hand scooting him along while holding his wand in the other. Neville tried to will the color from his cheeks, but it was made more difficult when he noticed that Draco Malfoy was in possession of one finely sculpted arse...’one fine married arse’ he scolded himself shaking his head and adverting his eyes until Draco had crawled through the opening and began to stand on the other side. 

Neville could see Draco move into a standing position and watched his feet shuffle around apparently turning in a circle. Neville was little taken aback when Draco’s face appeared through the opening a moment later, his wand glowing brightly in his hand. “It looks like someone has quiet the arsenal built up in here.” 

“Weapons?” Neville said incredulous.

“Well, potions actually, thousands of them and from the dust and apparent degradation of some them, they’ve been here for a while.” Draco supplied. “I’ll cast around to see if the boys left any traces in here… um you should probably call Potter.” Draco added, disappearing again into the dark.

Neville stood casting his patronus. Telling the hummingbird that Harry needed to meet him in the potions storeroom and sending it on its way. Getting back on his knees and looking into the room Neville said, “I’ve got a message going to Harry. Do you need help?” 

“Umm... I think, I’m fine, but if you want to come in mind yourself it’s a tight fit.” 

Neville slid under the table and crawled through the opening to be met by Draco’s rather dusty knees. Neville raised his head seeing a hand being offered. “Need a hand?” 

“Yea, thanks.” Neville said taking the offered hand and bracing his other arm on one of the book cases crowding the room. Coming to a standing position Neville noticed that Draco’s hand was a cold as ice and instinctively brought his other hand to cover it. “You’re frozen! And it’s freezing in here!” Neville rubbed Draco’s hand to warm it. 

“Yes, I can’t tell if it’s a spell or just that the room has been cut off from the rest of the school. Either way, it has probably helped in keeping some of the potions stable, so I’m hesitant to caste a warming charm.”

“Have you found anything?” 

“Yes, actually, no spells as far I can tell, but several of the shelves have been disturbed recently.” Draco pulled Neville by the hands still gently rubbing his hand and led Neville to a cabinet that had some disturbances in the dust and showed evidence of items being removed at some point recently. 

“What were they doing?” Draco said dropping his hand from Neville’s to move a couple of cobwebs out of the way so he could lean in further. It hadn’t been until then that Neville had noticed that he had still been holding Draco’s hand and blushed furiously. ‘At this rate I will be permanently red’ he thought. 

“Well, maybe it was just a potions accident of some sort, they came in here and decided to do some experimenting...” Neville stopped when Draco turned his face away from the cabinet shelves he had been reading his face drawn and tight and looked into Neville eyes. Neville mentally kicked himself. “But, I’m sure they’re alright, you said yourself they are brilliant at potions. Once we figure out what’s been messed with, then we’ll be able to find them and I’ll have them scaring crows for the rest of the school year.” Neville added hastily.

Draco exhaled and turned his attention back to the cabinet without saying a word. “Draco, I’m sorry, I know this must be...difficult.” Neville noted the slight nod in Draco’s head indicating that he had heard him. Hearing the scuffling sounds of someone approaching echoing through the small doorway Neville made his way back towards the light and ducked down to see Harry enter the room. 

“Oi, Harry down here!” Neville called through the doorway.

“What the bloody hell?” Harry said his brow furrowing together as he went down on one knee. “What’s that?”

“Secret room, of course.”

“Of course.” Harry added dryly. “Is Malfoy in there with you?”

“Yeah, come on.” Neville said stepping back from the door to let Harry crawl through. “It’s loaded with cabinets full of potions, so it a bit of a tight fit.” Neville finished his explanation just as Harry was coming into a standing position and casting Lumos.

Harry and Neville both blinked adjusting to the light and Harry turned around to get a look at the room.

“I think these maybe Snape’s” Draco piped in from down the aisle. 

“What makes you say that?” Harry asked moving to the cabinet Draco was examining.

“These potions are what one would need for an impending war. Verisutium, healing, concealing, various potions for changing appearances.... some of these were potions only Snape and a handful of others would know how to brew.”

“But you know them.” Harry added skeptically.

“He taught me most of these potions, bastard that he was, he did indulge me in this one pursuit.”

Harry opened his mouth clearly ready to argue Snape’s sainthood, so Neville placed a hand on Harry’s forearm to draw his attention. Praising Snape had become second nature after the war, when Harry went on a personal campaign to clear the man’s name and nothing got him going quite like insulting the man.

Harry eyes turned to Neville, who tried to convey his request to drop the subject with a tight smile. Harry exhaled and complied with the change of subject. “So you think the boys were here then.” 

“They seem to have figured out the room was here and how to get in.” Neville supplied, “And Draco seems to think they grabbed a few vials.”

“How would they know what was what?”

Draco drew in a sharp intake of air, putting his free hand under his armpit for warmth at the same time. “That would probably be because I’ve taught Scorpius most of these potions. He also knows how to un-brew a potion to get it back to its basic components.”

Harry ducked his head down placing his hands in his pockets, “Isn’t that awfully advanced for a boy Scorpius’s age?” He said his eyes coming back up to meet Draco’s 

“Well, yes, but he has assisted me since he the first time he pulled a chair to my work table and climbed up to watch me work.” Neville could see the quiet pride in Draco’s face as he eyes glazed over in memory. Draco smirked and said, “Even if he didn’t know what a vial contained, once he had the components he could figure out what the potions were...and I’ve heard your son has an interest in potions as well.”

“Yes he does, but there is a reason that advanced concepts like un-brewing potions aren’t taught to children until they reach a certain maturity level.” Harry’s voice was tight and accusing.

Draco dropped his hand from his armpit and turned his body to face Harry’s. If Neville didn’t know better he would have sworn the two were getting ready to duel it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always welcome.


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